Udemy
Free
UdemyiSeahorse Trends: Finding & monitoring seahorse populations
4.6(115)2k studentsALL LEVELSEnglish
Korshub's take
Overview
iSeahorse Trends is a citizen-science course built around one goal: teaching everyday observers — divers, snorkelers, photographers, and shoreline walkers — how to monitor seahorse populations and contribute real data to conservation research. At 55 minutes, it's a focused introduction to a specific field methodology rather than a broad marine-biology survey, based on the iSeahorse Trends toolkit developed by Loh, Foster, and Knapp.
Who it's for
Nature lovers and citizen scientists — no scuba certification required — who want to help track whether seahorse populations are declining, growing, or stable over time.
Key takeaways
- How to find and identify seahorses while diving, snorkeling, or walking the shore at low tide
- Why tracking population trends over time matters more than one-off sightings
- How to share observations with iSeahorse so researchers can track status and detect human impacts on seahorse habitats
About this course
iSeahorse harnesses the power of “citizen scientists” — anyone, anywhere in the world who sees a seahorse in the wild — to improve our understanding of these animals and protect them from overfishing and other threats. These citizen scientists include divers, photographers, scientists, and other nature lovers. You don’t need to be a scuba diver to monitor seahorses; it is possible to find and count seahorses while snorkeling or walking along the shore at low tide as well. More than seahorse sightings, we want to find out if seahorse populations are declining, increasing, or staying stable through time, to monitor seahorse population trends. Through this course, you will learn how to contribute to the conservation of seahorses and their habitats by monitoring seahorse populations and sharing your data with iSeahorse. The data you collect will enable researchers to track population status, reveal potential impacts from human activities and discover new aspects of seahorse biology. Are you ready to get started?
Course length = 55min
This course is based on the iSeahorse Trends toolkit by T.-L. Loh, S. Foster and C. Knapp. Special thanks to M. Grzybek, R. Pollom, S. Finestone and K. Furnweger for reviewing course content and to Shedd P&D for graphic artwork and video editing.
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