On a sunny afternoon in Visakhapatnam, a group of people armed with smartphones, notebooks and a love for Nature, gather at the base of Tenneti Park. The next two hours are dedicated to biodiversity documentation as part of a larger effort to conserve the region’s rich ecosystem. The group is a mix of seasoned Nature enthusiasts, students and first-time participants – all brought together by a common goal: to observe, record and document the species they see along the inter-tidal zones.
Back at the forested zones of Kambalakonda, another group wrapped up a session of birdwatching. Among the early sightings are the white-browned bulbul, Indian paradise flycatcher and a distant call of the black-rumped flameback woodpecker.
The participants log their findings on the iNaturalist app, contributing valuable data to global biodiversity platforms.
Environmental organisations in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam are leading citizen science projects, transforming individual observations into contributors to science and in the process creating a network of citizen scientists whose work is filling knowledge gaps about species in their backyard.
Visakhapatnam-based organisation East Coast Conservation Team (ECCT) started its citizen science projects in 2020 along with shore walks to increase awareness about marine life. Organisations like Wilded have led the project forward through Nature education and awareness programmes. Andhra Pradesh’s intertidal biodiversity, marine life, sharks rays and skates and seashells are few of ECCT’s citizen science projects on the iNaturalist app.
“Intertidal was started in order to focus on the fragile ecosystem we see between high tide and low tide. We have recorded about 350 species only in the Visakhapatnam coastal area through the project,” says Sri Chakra Pranav Tamarapalli of ECCT. The citizen science project on sharks, rays and skates aims at getting information on catch and sightings of these vulnerable species out of which 40 per cent are threatened with extinction. Marine Life of Andhra Pradesh is a project that has all of the marine species sightings under one umbrella. Seashells of AP was started to record seashells that are seen on the shore but might not be alive as well.
The Visakhapatnam-based Wildlife Conservation Through Research & Education (WCTRE) on the other hand has initiated citizen science projects of biodiversity of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, reptiles and amphibians of Andhra Pradesh, sharks, rays and skates of India and orchids of Eastern Ghats.
Sea grapes and zoanthids at the intertidal zone at Rushikonda Beach in Visakhapatnam. During low tides, these tide pools are exposed with hidden marine water habitat. | Photo Credit: KR Deepak
“Citizens can take photos of species they see during a casual walk on the beach, and upload them. This gives us access to information that might not be available otherwise. This bridges gaps in knowledge about the presence of species in different areas, possibly discovering new species as well,” says Chandrashekhar Durgasi, a member of ECCT. The shark and ray project has helped to highlight critical information on these endangered species. The citizen scientists also reported dead stranding of green sea turtles and dolphins in the recent past.
To familiarise people with biodiversity, the organisations introduce them to citizen science projects through birdwatching, night walks, intertidal walks and harbour walks. “They learn and contribute to science and conservation as well. It is fun and may seem like a Pokemon Go game,” says Pranav.
The process is straightforward. You can take photos of any species or marine life you spot. Upload it on iNaturalist; the app picks up the date and time of capture as well as the place. The app suggests what the species could be. If people are unsure, they can simply name it an animal or plant. The experts identify it for them. The data is available open source for any researchers or conservationists to use. “For instance, we occasionally see blue button polyps being washed ashore, but not much is known about their movement patterns in this area. Long-term observations will give us an idea about their movement and other biological information,” says Pranav. The citizen scientists also use the Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Network of India website to report sightings and strandings of dolphins, whales and porpoises.
The impact of these citizen science projects has been profound. In addition to filling critical data gaps, the initiatives have fostered a sense of stewardship among the people. Participants not only gain a deeper appreciation for the ecosystems they live in but also become vocal advocates for environmental protection. Perhaps the most significant outcome is the democratisation of science. What was once the domain of professional scientists is now accessible to students, fishermen, farmers, and city dwellers.
Through ECCT’s intertidal biodiversity of Andhra Pradesh project, approximately 2,700 observations have been done by 60 citizens, recording 350 species. Some first records were noted, such as Pseudoceros galatheensis and four species of flatworms, many species of nudibranchs, seaslugs and few fish species like Jensen’s wrasse.
In order to involve the local communities, ECCT is coming up with a software tool which will have just icons, for people who can’t read or write, but can take photos and upload using icons.
Members of WCTRE with a group of participants at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
WCTRE has involved people to clock in 19,000 observations of which nearly 3,000 species were recorded only within Visakhapatnam. “These shed light on the distribution records of elusive species like the Visakhapatnam limbless skink (Barkudia melanosticta), which was believed to be only within its type locality (Andhra University campus); but there were three more locations which were different from its type locality and at different elevations,” says Yagnapathy Adari, research fellow of GITAM Univesity. The citizen science projects also highlighted the existence of shield tail snakes, which are spotted at elevation-specific locations. Currently, there is only one record of this snake by Vivek Rathod of WCTRE and elusive snake species like Dumerils black-headed snake and the pale-capped pigeon by Yagnapathy Adari.
Published - October 18, 2024 07:51 pm IST
