Ocean Spotter
from 01/04/2026
Ocean Spotter is a free citizen-science platform that turns divers, snorkellers and other ocean-goers into a global network documenting marine biodiversity. Members log what they see underwater — species, location, time, photo or video — into one open dataset for science and conservation.
The core of it is confirmed observations. When two buddies dive together, one scans the other's QR code after the dive and the sighting lands in both logbooks — so it enters the dataset confirmed by two people, not as a single unverified claim. The community can confirm, add to and discuss each sighting too, until it becomes a reliable data point. Crowdsourced this way, thousands of verified observations add up to an open dataset no single research project could assemble alone.
The data is openly reusable for research and conservation: catching climate-driven shifts in species early, strengthening the case for new marine protected areas, and making coral-restoration and eco-tourism efforts visible. Ocean Spotter is deliberately ad-free — no third-party ads, no trackers, no data selling.
Aim
Build an open, scientifically reusable dataset of marine-life sightings worldwide — tracking which species occur where and how abundance and distribution change over time, so that climate-driven shifts can be caught early and the case for new marine protected areas can be strengthened. Ultimately, to turn everyday encounters in the ocean into lasting knowledge for science and conservation.
How to participate
Free to take part. Get "Ocean Spotter" from the App Store or Google Play, or use ocean-spotter.com, create an account, and log your first sighting. It works for anyone — divers, snorkellers, whale-watchers, beachgoers — of any age. After each dive or trip, log what you saw (species, location, time, plus a photo or video); buddies can confirm each other's sightings, and anything you can't identify can be logged as "unknown" for the community to help name.
