We’ve done a lot together.
Working globally, we’ve helped international organizations, countries, businesses, states, organizations, and communities better understand their ecosystems, threats, social values, and policies — helping to protect over 100 species and 19 million km² of ocean area.
We’ve brought the world together—
With projects, data, and stories from 90 regions across 38 countries, we've united people across borders, oceans, and sectors. Our work has contributed to the protection of over 100 species and 19 million km² of ocean.
Species: 100+ species added international protection.
Area: Increased protection for 19.4 million km² in 182 countries.
Highly Inclusive
Our methods, processes, and tools unite people across vast spaces—connecting them through the eOceans app and the projects it powers.
Check out highlights from our research below, with links to publications.
Example: Manta rays for tourism.
Manta rays generate hundreds of millions in tourism revenue in just a few communities. So, alarms rang when they started to disappear.
By crowdsourcing 600,000 observations from divers in 90 regions of the world, we revealed widespread illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
This evidence helped secure their endangered species status, leading to stronger protections — helping people, mantas, and planet.
Great Fiji Shark Count
Tourism depends on healthy oceans, but management lags behind. In Fiji, divers took action, logging 146,304 shark observations across 592 sites. Their data—45% of dives, 74% of sites—helps guide conservation, management, and future research.
Emergent Research and Priorities for Shark and R
ay Conservation
Shark data is scarce, but citizen science fills the gap—tracking populations, threats, and conservation impact with more eyes on the water.
International Trade Threatens Mantas
Crowdsourced manta ray data exposed illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide, revealing that trade is a significant threat—leading to their CITES Appendix II protection.
Priorities for Shark Conservation in Thailand
Data from 9,524 dives over five years gave Thailand its first shark trends, guiding science, management, and showcasing the power of community-led programs.
Evaluating Global Shark Sanctuaries
Around the world, ocean experts — local explorers that live and work on the ocean — see things that scientists don’t. What they see can inform on local threats to species and livelihoods. Here, we reviewed these concerns from a shark perspective.
The Role of Tourism
in Conservation
Tourism guides visit the same sites daily, spotting the same species and individuals. As stewards of these areas, their observations can bridge crucial data gaps missed by scientists.
Citizen Science: A Best Practice for Shark & Ray Tourism
Tourism operators and scientists must collaborate to track ocean health—connecting researchers with communities, businesses, and NGOs is key to success.
Biases in Visual Censuses Skew Ecological Descriptions
Since the 1950s, visual censuses have sampled fish, but counting mobile species that enter after a survey starts inflates biomass estimates, distorting data and impacting management and recovery plans.
Everyday Observations are Necessary for Science
Scientific surveys capture only a small snapshot of the ocean. Tapping into observations from other explorers can fill data gaps and transform our understanding.
Smart Fisheries
Fishers are key to ocean monitoring, but years of misinformation have eroded trust. The Smart Fishery Tracker™ on eOceans® helps fishers improve practices, reduce unreported catches, and lead in ocean conservation.
Join the movement with the FREE eOceans app.
Explore our ongoing projects, start your own, or get involved with others making a real impact. Download the eOceans app to begin logging sightings of species, pollution, human activities, and more. Visit eOceans.app to learn how you can contribute to the movement, drive change, and protect the oceans that sustain us all.
