CoralWatch – a citizen science tool to monitor coral bleaching and create reef awareness

Worldwide coral reefs are under serious threat from anthropogenic and climatic stressors. Now more than ever, reefs require careful management informed by science and supported by government, industry and community to ensure... [ view full abstract ]

Worldwide coral reefs are under serious threat from anthropogenic and climatic stressors. Now more than ever, reefs require careful management informed by science and supported by government, industry and community to ensure reefs for the future. Citizen science is recognised as an effective way to bolster information flow between these sectors.

CoralWatch, based at The University of Queensland, Australia, is a well-established citizen science program founded in 2002. It integrates global coral health monitoring with education and public outreach creating reef awareness using simple and engaging tools that provide people with accessible information about coral reefs and climate change, and hands-on experience collecting scientific data on coral bleaching using the Coral Health Chart. The chart is an easy-to-use tool to quantify changes in coral colour associated with coral bleaching. It is so simple, no prior training is needed and anyone can get involved. The chart is used in the field and classroom, is available in 12 languages and data on >1610 reefs from 78 countries is freely available. Unlike the majority of citizen science project designs, in which citizens collect data for scientists to analyse, CoralWatch was designed to provide users with a flexible tool that can be used in a variety of ways by all end users, from citizens, classrooms through to scientists.

By allowing for a public, free, and easy to use tool, CoralWatch has been successful in engaging citizens globally in discussion about why coral reefs matter, and provided an avenue for engagement in shaping change.