Dr. Li-Shu Chen completed her doctoral degree in Marine Biology at James Cook University in Australia in 1997, after which she returned to Taiwan to dedicate herself to promoting marine environmental education. A pioneer in this field in Taiwan, she has also co-authored numerous marine biology publications alongside distinguished scholars such as Professor Kwang-Tsao Shao, including Common Coral Reef Fishes of Taiwan (1991), Marine Ornamental Fish (1990), and Introduction to Fish (2004).
Beyond her commitment to marine research, she has in recent years been introducing citizen science database methodologies — long established abroad — to Taiwan, with the hope that widespread public participation will deepen society's understanding of ocean issues. In this article, we draw on Dr. Chen's invaluable experience studying in Australia to offer an introductory look at several ocean citizen scientist programmes.
Taiwan's waters are rich in marine life. Beyond recreation, the general public can contribute to scientific research through ocean citizen science initiatives. (Photo by Marco Chang)
In Australia, citizen science is a spirit that has grown out of the educational system.
What Is Coral Watch?
Dr. Chen recalls that when she was pursuing her doctorate in Australia, Australian academia did not employ research assistants in the way Taiwanese institutions do. Fortunately, the Western educational system strongly encourages students to actively explore unfamiliar fields, so many undergraduates would voluntarily join research teams, giving rise to a distinctive volunteer culture. Funding often covered only transport costs — meals were split equally among participants, and even professors took turns cooking for the group. Perhaps it was precisely this egalitarian atmosphere that quietly nurtured a genuinely generous volunteer ecosystem.
After completing her studies and returning to Taiwan to work in marine education outreach, she found that many of her diving friends also wanted to do their part for the ocean. It was then that she remembered the Coral Watch programme she had encountered twelve years earlier in Australia. At first she assumed Coral Watch was simply a piece of science communication material, but after purchasing a full teaching kit from the University of Queensland and learning that the colour chart had been designed based on actual research findings, she realised that this approach was even more accessible to the general public than the Reef Check coral reef health survey — and that the data it generated could genuinely be used for research analysis.
| Coral Watch | Reef Check | CoralNet |
|---|---|---|
| Using a simple colour chart, participants can compare coral colours underwater or in intertidal zones. Long-term records allow monitoring of changes in reef health. Easy for the general public to participate in. | Divers lay transect lines underwater, counting the number and species of corals and marine life along the way. Participants need a certain level of species-identification ability; otherwise research data may be compromised. | Large numbers of coral photographs are collected to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems, progressively enabling rapid coral identification. However, identification accuracy requires extensive fine-tuning. |
Several of the more popular international coral citizen science research approaches currently in use.
Coral Watch is simple, but through the accumulation of long-term, large-scale data, we can come to understand the cyclical changes in a given marine area.
The Importance of Long-Term Observation and Data Accumulation
Coral Watch uses a research-validated colour chart to assess coral health by colour.
In 2020, widespread coral bleaching was observed in Taiwan's waters. Areas lying along the Kuroshio Current — Penghu, Kenting, and Orchid Island — were particularly severely affected, and on Xiaoliuqiu more than 30% of bleached corals failed to recover. Whenever we observe coral bleaching through a camera lens, we are already seeing the outcome. In scientific research, what matters more is the process and the causes. If we can accumulate large amounts of data on the relationship between water temperature and coral colour across a given marine area, we may be able to assess coral health and environmental change with far greater precision.
Did you know that the same coral colony will be lighter in colour in summer and deeper in colour in winter? And have this summer's coral colours differed from last summer's? This is precisely why Coral Watch places such emphasis on the importance of long-term observation and data accumulation.
Widespread coral bleaching occurred in Taiwan's waters in 2020. We lack the systematic data needed to study this ecological catastrophe — but each of us can become an ocean citizen scientist. (Photo by Marco Chang)
Dr. Chen identifies the key factors for successful citizen science: ease of participation, data accuracy, and a sense of belonging and recognition among participants.
Dr. Chen believes that ocean citizen scientists can not only assist in completing scientific research, but can also help participants rediscover coral during the process. Once you truly get to know coral, the next time you walk through an intertidal zone, you will inevitably be more mindful of whether there is coral beneath your next step — and that is precisely the mission that environmental education most hopes to advance.
Dr. Li-Shu Chen currently works at the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Keelung, where she continues to promote marine environmental education.
Further reading:
- National Museum of Marine Science and Technology — Ocean Steward Programme
- University of Queensland Coral Watch Programme Official Website
- Reef Check Official Website
- CoralNet Official Website
- Ocean Citizen Scientists Using Underwater Photography to Support Marine Conservation and Fundamental Research
