Biologists Rogelio Herrera and Leopoldo Moro have launched RedPROMAR, a citizen-science project tracking exotic and invasive marine species across Europe [1].

The initiative allows researchers to monitor ecological shifts in real time by leveraging public observations. Because marine environments are vast, the project uses crowdsourced data to identify species that could disrupt local biodiversity, and economic stability.

RedPROMAR operates in partnership with the European Commission [1]. The project focuses on three distinct categories of non-native wildlife: exotic, invasive, and neo-colonising species. By collecting photographs submitted by the public, the team can map the spread of these organisms more effectively than traditional sampling methods.

These photographs serve as critical data points for biologists to study how species migrate and establish themselves in new territories [1]. The data helps the team differentiate between species that simply exist in a new area and those that actively harm the environment.

Herrera and Moro designed the project to bridge the gap between professional research and public engagement. This collaborative approach allows the European Commission to develop more precise management strategies based on widespread visual evidence [1].

The project remains ongoing as biologists continue to analyze the ecological impacts of these species. By identifying neo-colonising species early, researchers hope to mitigate the long-term damage to European marine ecosystems before invasive populations become uncontrollable [1].

“RedPROMAR is a citizen-science initiative that collects photographs from the public”

The shift toward citizen-science models like RedPROMAR indicates a growing reliance on big data and public participation to manage environmental crises. By utilizing the general public as a distributed sensor network, the European Commission can monitor vast coastlines more cheaply and comprehensively than through dedicated research vessels alone, potentially accelerating the response time to ecological threats.