Ethical WickedCitizen Scientists
The term, ‘Citizen Journalism’, came into common use a couple of years ago with the proliferation of picture phones and constant connectivity to the internet. It referred to the new role of everyday folk as documenters of news and current events. The scoop had been stolen and now any one of us could be breaking the headlines with little more than an iPhone.
The new breed of laymen entering a world previously only occupied by graduates and professionals are ‘Citizen Scientists’; ordinary men and women, with a passion, who are playing a huge role in data collection for various different scientific projects around the world.
By reporting sighting and taking ID shots, divers just like you and me are now in part responsible for supplementing vastly overlooked and under-funded research programmes that are close to all of our hearts.
As part of Wicked Diving’s Manta Education trips on the Komodo liveaboards, and similar trips in the Similan Islands in Thailand, we are asking our guests to take identification shots of manta rays to help support the databases created by organisations such as Manta Matcher and The Manta Trust. Manta Matcher, created by Andrea Marshall, a leading manta ray researcher based in Mozambique, is a global database of manta rays which are looking to answer some of the still unknown big questions such as, ‘do manta rays sleep?’, how far do they travel?’, ‘how long can they live?’. Answering these questions is imperative to ensure the survival of such species.
here’s an example of a great ID shot taken by guest, Richard Davidson, on one of our recent manta ray education rips.
It is a sad fact but without the support of the worldwide network of divers, such research would become impossible as the funding is too little and the geographical locations too vast. It’s not just manta rays that need our help; here’s a list of other research that is in need of your information. Even on your next dive holiday, walk on the beach or even in your back garden, you could be helping to find out more about and eventually, hopefully, contribute to the protection of many of Nature’s greatest species. Become a Citizen Scientist today.
The Great Eggcase Hunt
Global Shark Sightings
The Great Sunflower Prohect
http://www.greatsunflower.org/
Citizen Science America
