Expanding the community of Sea Watchers

AMPLIAMOS LA COMUNIDAD DE OBSERVADORES DEL MAR

Marine citizen science is an unbeatable way of linking science to society and connecting scientists with sea lovers. Here at Marilles we believe that two essential ingredients for promoting effective measures for the conservation of the marine environment are getting everyday people to take part in the process and expanding their knowledge. It's a fact: citizen science achieves both these objectives.

Observadors del Mar (Sea Watchers) is a community in which teams of scientists interact with society through their web platform. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to take part; diving centres, specifically, are key organisations to mobilise, engage and encourage people to take an active part in the network of observers and collaborate in research projects. Through various adapted protocols, valuable observations and insights are collected – these are crucial for evaluating the health status of the sea and contribute to its better management.

With the summer here and marine activities restarting, we’ve also reactivated the Observadors del Mar training in diving centres that are keen to get involved in our community. Albatros Diving,  Skualo Diving-Watersports and Tramuntana Diving & Adventure have been the first to join us in this new chapter. Of the 13 projects that are active on the website, each centre has chosen those they were more interested in, so they have adapted each training section to their needs. The chosen projects are “Marine meadows in reproduction” (for example, posidonia meadows), “Jellyfish alert”, “Fan mussels”, “Invasive seaweed” and “Decapod crustaceans”.

Training is structured in two parts: theory and practice. In the first, we explain the chosen project, the importance of its research and the protocol for carrying out the observations. After that, it’s immersion time: we encourage you to dive straight in, so you can practice in situ – i.e., underwater – what you’ve learned on land.

If you belong to a diving centre or club, a sailing club or any other type of marine association and you’re interested in science, don’t delay: contact us! If you’re a sea lover and you spend a lot of time on the coast, you can also be a sea observer. Visit our website to find out more.