Sounds too good to be true right? But there are ways to gain experience in marine conservation without even leaving the house. I was introduced to this idea during the pandemic when it became impossible to join field work or expeditions, but these opportunities still hold true today. And the best part – anyone can do them! As long as you have an interest in marine life, then you can take part!
What is this wonderful concept, you might ask? It is citizen science! For those of you not familiar with citizen science, it involves scientists asking the public for help with their research. This can come in many forms, but overall you have the chance to gain experience, learn new skills and they are usually fun to get involved in!
Eager to give citizen science a go? Here are four ways to become a citizen scientist:
1. From the comfort of your home:
Zooniverse – https://www.zooniverse.org/
Zooniverse is an online platform that creates collaboration between the public and researchers. They have a growing range of projects that cover a range of topics, but plenty to choose from in the environmental or climate field. Most of their research projects involve series of photos or videos to be analysed by the participant. From classifying sharks from underwater videos in New Zealand to counting penguins in Antarctica – you should be able to find a project that suits your interests! I particularly like this site, as training is provided for each project and there is a chat function to share interesting finds with the research team or other citizen scientists. On your profile, you can view statistics about how many hours or tasks you have completed, plus you can generate a certificate to showcase the commitment you have made.
Calling in our Corals – https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/calling-in-our-corals/zgFx1tMqeIZyTw?hl=en
Calling in our Corals project gives you the chance to help out with coral reef soundscape research from anywhere in the world. The coral research team have partnered with Google in order to get citizen scientist support on identifying the different noises on reefs in the Philippines. The project trains you to identify different noises from recordings taken from Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Once you have completed the training, you can work your way through as many recordings as you like to help with analysis of this data. Experience in acoustic data and getting to listen to crackling coral reefs? – sounds like a win-win to me!
2. Out and about in nature:
BioBlitz events
BioBlitiz are events that rely on citizen scientists going to certain locations in order to capture a snapshot of the species abundance on a given date. Not only will this help to increase the understanding of species living in different areas, it will also help to improve your identification skills. BioBlitz originated in the United States, however they have since become popular around the globe. Search BioBlitz near me to see when the next event is taking place and gain experience in identifying creatures on the coast!
INaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/
Alternatively, if there are no BioBlitz events near you, iNaturalist could be the next best thing! iNaturalist is an app that helps with identification of species around the world. The app can give you information about the species you find whilst exploring your local areas, and through your observations you are supporting data collection about biodiversity. You can take photos of animals, plants or fungi direct in the app or upload photos so you can even include underwater photos! You can also chat to other app users to debate species identifications and achieve research level identifications. Overall, you get to spend more time in nature, build your knowledge, and you know that you have contributed to species data collection.
The best way to find out about more citizen science initiatives is to look for ones near you. These four are available in most countries, however depending on where you are based you might find different projects. Some other examples to look for could include testing the quality of water (WaterBlitz); recording the different types of litter found in the environment or sharing photos of marine mammals or megafauna. Any time that you help with research or share your findings with a research team, you are building a portfolio of experience.
Top tip: add these citizens science experiences under volunteering on your CV to show that you have participated in these projects and should it come up in an interview you can discuss your contribution to the research. Talk about what each task involved, and you never know, the skills you have learnt could help you in securing a future role!
We hope this guide gives you advice of getting experience in marine biology without having to pay a fee. For more tips on building a career in the marine sector, check out the other posts in our WiseOceans Autumn Blog Series.
