Did you know that the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP) has generated one of the largest marine life sightings databases? This citizen science effort engages scuba divers and snorkelers to collect data on fishes and select invertebrates and algae. What began as a small effort in the Florida Keys in 1993 has since grown into a project with a global reach, inluding almost 18,000 volunteers. In 2024, the 300,000th survey was submitted to the REEF database, which now contains over 14 million sightings records. What happens to all this data?
Anyone can access data reports through the REEF website. You can look at a geographic area and species distributions, and REEF members can view their personal life list and REEF survey log. REEF staff also work with scientists and government agencies to provide detailed data files for in-depth analysis. These results are often used in scientific publications. Given that the VFSP is a long-term dataset spanning a large geographic range, REEF data have been particularly valuable to the scientific community, often providing information that would otherwise not be available. To date, more than 130 scientific papers have been published using REEF data, including studies in both tropical and cold-water ecosystems about fishes, invertebrates, and even sea turtles. All of these papers are available on our website at www.REEF.org/db/publications.
Here are a few of the most impactful science papers that have used the REEF dataset over the years:
Fishery-independent data reveal negative effect on human population density on Caribbean predatory fish communities. by C Stallings, 2009. in PLoS ONE. This study used the REEF dataset to conduct a comprehensive analysis of human impacts on predatory reef fish communities across the greater Caribbean region. Across the region, as human population density increases, presence of large-bodied fishes declines, and fish communities become dominated by a few smaller-bodied species. The analysis found a complete disappearance of several large-bodied fishes, which indicates ecological and local extinctions have occurred in some densely populated areas. These findings fill a fundamentally important gap in our knowledge of the ecosystem effects of artisanal fisheries in developing nations, and provide support for multiple approaches to data collection where they are commonly unavailable.
Demographic modeling of citizen science data informs habitat preferences and population dynamics of recovering fishes. by JT Thorson et al. 2014. in Ecology. The authors of this study combined REEF citizen science data with recently developed statistical demographic modeling techniques. The model analysis included two managed reef fishes in the Gulf of Mexico to estimate demographic trends, habitat associations, and interannual variability in recruitment of Goliath Grouper and Mutton Snapper. The study highlights the utility and management benefits of combining demographic models and citizen science data.
Species-specific environmental preferences associated with a hump shaped diversity/temperature relationship across tropical marine fish assemblages. S Clauson-Kaas et al. 2017. in Journal of Biogeography. This study, conducted out of the Center for Macroecology, Evolution & Climate in Denmark, used the VFSP database to produce a new map of marine fish biodiversity across the Caribbean. The authors found that fish biodiversity is strongly linked to sea temperatures. However, results also showed that while fish biodiversity is higher in warmer waters, the very hottest sites in fact had fewer species than sites with intermediate temperatures, something not shown before in previous studies.
Urbanization-related distribution patterns and habitat-use by the marine mesopredator, giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini). EC Heery, et al. 2018. in Urban Ecosystems. REEF sightings data on Giant Pacific Octopus in Washington State were used to evaluate patterns of occurrence with urbanization. The species is the largest known octopus in the world, and they can reach over 20 feet in length from one tentacle tip to the other. The study objectives were to determine whether the distribution and habitat-use patterns of GPOs were correlated with urbanization intensity on nearby shorelines in Puget Sound. The authors found that urban effects varied with depth. On deeper dives (> 24 m), REEF divers had a higher probability of encountering octopus in more urban locations, likely driven by habitat.
Disease epidemic and a marine heat wave are associated with the continental-scale collapse of a pivotal predator (Pycnopodia helianthoides). CD Harvell et al. 2019. in Science Advances. This study used almost 11,000 VFSP surveys collected between California and Alaska between 2006 and 2017 to evaluate the massive decline of the Sunflower Sea Star. The authors documented a precipitous decline in the important species, primarily linked to the devastating sea star wasting disease epidemic that was wide-spread along the US and Canadian west coast starting in 2013, as well as warming ocean temperatures. In many places, the Sunflower Sea Stars have failed to return. A decline or absence of this species led to a boom of sea urchins, loss of kelp, and other cascading effects on the ecosystem. REEF data were subsequently part of a larger analysis that led to the species being added as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Controversial opening of a limited fishery for Atlantic Goliath Grouper in the United States: implications for population recovery. FC Coleman et al. 2023. in Marine Policy. Laws protecting the Atlantic Goliath Grouper from fishing in federal and state waters of the United States occurred in 1990 after the species was identified as being severely overfished. Despite calls from goverment agencies and scientists to retain full protection for this species in federal waters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) opened a limited fishery in state waters for juveniles in 2022. This paper reviews available scientific literature and datasets on Goliath Grouper trends (including the VFSP, which represents the best available long-term data on adult Goliath Grouper in Florida), and presents information on the limits of Goliath Grouper recovery, the varied threats the species is facing, and the ensuing factors that precipitated the species subsequent decline.
Assessing the value of citizen scientist observations in tracking the abundance of marine fishes. DA Greenberg et al. 2024. in Conservation Letters. The state of biodiversity for most of the world is largely unknowable due to a lack of long-term population monitoring data. Citizen science programs could substantially contribute to resolving this data crisis, but there are noted concerns on whether methods can overcome the biases and imprecision inherent to these programs. The authors of this study evaluated these concerns by comparing data collected as part of the VFSP with data collected as part of survey coordinated by scientists from NOAA. Both datasets were conducted over the same time period at 60 sites off Key Largo, Florida from 1993 to 2018. The majority of species exhibited similar trends over the 25-year time span in both population time-series datasets, with some notable differences. Overall, these results suggest that citizen scientists can be effective sentinels of ecological change, and that there may be substantial value in leveraging their observations to monitor otherwise data-limited marine species.