Citizen Science Divers Protect Ocean Health

For 65,000 years before computers, satellites, and scientific journals, Australia's first peoples were reading tides, stars, seasons, animal behaviour, currents, and ecosystems with extraordinary precision. Yet until recently, their knowledge was not formally considered alongside Western Science. Now, more research and conservation organisations are recognising that in order to protect places like the Great Barrier Reef, not only do we need better technology and data, but we also need to listen more carefully to the voices of the world's oldest continuous living cultures. This week we're joined by Elizabeth Evans-Illidge from the Australian Institute of Marine Science for an inspiring chat about bridging the divide between two cultures, one step at a time. In this special Reconciliation Week episode, we'll discover how making space for a knowledge system different to our own, can help us better understand and conserve our environment, while also rebuilding our connection with each other. Thumbnail Image: The 'dark emu,' a dark spot in the milky way, with its long neck extended upward in the night sky, was more than just a story. It carried valuable environmental knowledge. https://lnkd.in/gqZPztaV

#ICYMI: Research connected to HiAOOS has been featured in the new publication "The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life IV" 📘 The chapter explores methods for analysing underwater acoustic data in ice-covered Arctic environments, supporting future HiAOOS research on marine soundscapes and environmental change in the high Arctic. 🔗 More info & read it: https://lnkd.in/eyWNtG-r #HiAOOS #ArcticResearch #OceanObservation #UnderwaterAcoustics

Our researchers are transforming how we track Florida’s changing coastlines, using data collected by the community. CoastSnap is a citizen science project created by the University of Florida and St. Johns County Parks and Recreation that turns everyday smartphone photos into meaningful coastal data. By taking repeat photos from the same location, participants help document how shorelines shift over time, giving scientists the data they need to understand coastal dynamics and improve forecasts of how coastlines may change in the coming decades. Join us to learn more about this work happening in the St. Augustine community from Peter Adams, Ph.D., professor of UF Geological Sciences, at the next Gator Club of Historic St. Augustine event. 🗓 Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 PM 📌 Amici Italian Restaurant Register here: https://lnkd.in/es56EgFY

🗣️Calling Citizen scientists: Let's learn how we can help. #CoastalResilience #ClimateAdaptation #CitizenScience #EnvironmentalScience #Sustainability #CommunityEngagement #FloridaCoast #StAugustine #UniversityOfFlorida #GatorNation #ResearchImpact #ScienceCommunication #EnvironmentalLeadership #DataForGood #ResilientCommunities #OceanConservation #PublicEngagement

Take a few moments to enjoy this informative CNN story about the important work a FAU researcher is doing to understand the migration patterns of one of our most important shark species.

For more than 30 years, Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D. has been studying the migration patterns of black-tip sharks, helping us better understand one of the most visible and dynamic marine phenomena along our coastline. By using GPS tracking and camera technology, his research provides valuable insight into how and why these sharks move, and how those patterns are changing over time. Recent findings show that black-tip sharks are no longer migrating as far south as they once did. In just the past decade, average winter ocean temperatures have risen by one degree Celsius, influencing where sharks find optimal conditions and shifting their migration patterns farther north. This research has important implications, not only for marine science but for coastal communities. A better understanding of shark movement allows for more informed public awareness and safer shared use of our waters. Now featured by CNN, this work highlights the impact of Florida Atlantic University research in addressing real-world challenges and advancing our understanding of a changing environment. #HigherEd #Research

The IMOS Deep Water Moorings, called the Southern Ocean Time Series observatory, provide crucial data in this under-sampled Southern Ocean to monitor for climate change, ocean acidification, and carbon cycling. IMOS can only deploy these moorings in this remote location through a collaboration with CSIRO, the CSIRO Marine National Facility, Bureau of Meteorology, and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. IMOS and the CSIRO Marine National Facility are enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). #NCRISImpact #NCRIS20

Heave ho, off to sea we go! 👋 The Southern Ocean is vital to life on Earth, supporting global food webs and helping regulate our planet’s temperature. Monitoring changes across this vast region is critical, and Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) deep ocean moorings are one of the best tools we have to collect long-term data and predict future change. That’s why our research vessel (RV) Investigator, just embarked on a 16-day voyage to maintain the IMOS deep water mooring array. Along the way, the team will also study ocean life via eDNA collection, and a seabird tracking camera called Jonathan! Follow the voyage live: https://lnkd.in/gZeCxVwB 📸: Elizabeth Shadwick

Moorings are very important tools in oceanographic research. Anchored to the seafloor and equipped with scientific instruments, they quietly collect data over long periods of time, measuring things like temperature, salinity, currents, and more. In remote Arctic waters, where conditions can make year-round observation difficult, moorings provide a continuous stream of information that helps scientists better understand ocean change, sea ice dynamics, and marine ecosystems.

Not everything important about the ocean can be explained with data. 🌊🧑🎨 The TIDAL ArtS projects support artists and collectives across Europe’s coastal regions to explore how people, places, and waters are connected. Selected from over 600 proposals, the Lighthouse Artists are now developing site-specific projects across the Atlantic-Arctic, Baltic-North Sea, Mediterranean, and Danube-Black Sea regions. Their work responds directly to marine science, climate change, biodiversity, and human interaction with coastal environments. Explore the projects: https://lnkd.in/eP6-dNVv