A team of “citizen scientists”, including more than 100 recreational scuba divers, have helped researchers identify new habitats of marine biodiversity.
The worldwide study, which was based on surveyed numbers of reef animals collected by trained divers, identified hotspots for marine life in south-western Australia and the Galapagos Islands.
Scientists involved in the the research team broadened their idea of biodiversity to include factors such as abundance and characteristics of fish species, rather than on the number of fish species present in specific regions.
The data collected through the study will help identify areas in need of marine conservation.
Read more at Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania