How to saves sea turtles from your smartphone

As part of World Oceans Day on 8 June, experts and individuals came together to discuss a new way of getting the public to record any animals or unusual sightings witnessed when out in the sea.

Organised by the Prince’s Government and the Oceanographic Institute, almost 40 people from the Principality, some who work with the sea and others simply passionate about our oceans, attended a meeting. This was the second time they met and together they discussed ways to observe and protect marine wildlife.

In particular, discussions focused on sea turtles, as participants learnt more about the specific rules governing human intervention and contact with this species.

A mobile app to track marine wildlife

When an animal is spotted out in the sea, to make it easier to collect and share this data, users are being encouraged to use the collaborative, digital platform OBSenMER to record their observations.

All this data will allow us to identify which species are living in Monaco’s waters, as well as how they behave, in order to help with a current study and work out how best to protect ecosystems.

Every time a new sighting is logged on the platform, the Oceanographic Museum receives an alert. Following this, they analyse the data and pass on any findings to the Prince’s Government in order to better understand the biodiversity of the waters surrounding Monaco.

These findings will also help complete different databases, such as those belonging to the French Mediterranean Sea Turtle Network (RTMMF), MIRACETI and ACCOBAMS. The hope is that this new information will improve and enhance our knowledge of certain species.