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Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
Shark Week with a twist of citizen science!
By Editorial Team, Jul 08, 2015
It’s Shark Week! Do you know researchers need your help to learn more about these fascinating, underwater creatures?
Below, you’ll find five projects to help us learn more about sharks and what we can do to protect them.
Join us today at 2:00 PM ET for the next #CitSciChat, a Twitter discussion about citizen science, moderated by @CoopSciScooand sponsored by SciStarter. Chat with project owners and researchers studying sharks!
Basking sharks grow to be 20-40 feet long and weigh many tons, but they eat tiny organisms often too small to be seen by the naked eye! To track the population and migration of this amazing animal, citizen scientists are needed to report any sightings. Get Started!
Wildbook for Whale Sharks
The whale shark is a species of international conservation concern. In order to protect it, scientists need to be able to identify individual sharks, which is where citizen science comes into play. Volunteers submit photographs and sighting data, and a sophisticated computer program identifies the individual shark based on its markings. Get Started!
The goal of Sharks Count is to protect sharks of all kinds, and in order to do that they need the help of divers. When people go diving and observe sharks, they’re asked to report their observations; the information will help estimate the size and location of shark populations. Get Started!
The Shark Trust: The Great Eggcase Hunt
In the U.K.? When shark eggs hatch, some of the eggcases, similar to a leathery shell, wash ashore. Citizen scientists scour beaches and shorelines for the eggcases, which can reveal what species are present and where they lay their eggs. Get Started!
Sevengill Shark Tracking in San Diego
Divers in the San Diego area are asked to photograph sevengill sharks and upload the pictures, along with sighting details, to the Sevengill Shark Tracking project. With the information, scientists will learn what areas thesharks visit and if the same sharks return from year to year. See related blog post.Get Started!