Oceania Projects

Below is a list of some of the citizen science projects open to participants in Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific Islands. Click on the project name to learn more.

• Strandings of Oceania: Report sightings of stranded whales and dolphins to help scientists better understand sea mammals and the issues that are affecting them.

AUSTRALIA

• Atlas of Living Australia: Contribute wildlife photos to a national database of biodiversity data.
• ClimateWatch: Select a species to watch and submit your observation findings to help scientists better understand the effects of climate change.
• BirdLife Australia’s BirdData: Submit your sightings of birds throughout Australia at any time of year or participate in special programs, such as the Nest Record Scheme and the Atlas project.
• Aussie Backyard Bird Count: Add your bird sightings to this nationwide project that occurs every October.
• Reef Life Survey (RLS): Divers participate as citizen scientists to gather data on marine biodiversity in Australia and throughout the world.
• FrogWatch Identifrog: Submit photos and audio recordings to help researchers better understand frog populations in the Northern Territory.
• ReptileWatch: Report sightings of reptiles in the Northern Territory.
• River Guardians: Become a free member to participate in projects near Perth, such as Dolphin Watch and Prawn Watch.
• Geographe Catchment Council (GeoCatch) Ringtail Tally: Submit sightings of Western ringtail possums, dead or alive, to help monitor the local population in southwestern WA.
• WA Department of Parks and Wildlife: Report sightings, dead or alive, of threatened animal species in southwestern WA.
• MusselWatch: Submit your sightings of freshwater mussels in southwestern WA to help scientists map the species distribution.
• Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA): Participate in one of their citizen science events.

NEW ZEALAND

• Department of Conservation (DOC) Wildlife Volunteers: Participate in one of many wildlife monitoring projects offered throughout the country.
• Marine Metre Squared: Participate in this nationwide project by surveying the plants and animals living in your local seashore.
• NatureWatch NZ: Record your sightings of plants and animals as an individual or post them to specific projects, such as Quest for Kiwi.
• Birds New Zealand: Participate in one of their national or regional projects and studies, or submit your bird sightings anytime with New Zealand eBird.
• Garden Bird Survey: Take part in this yearly winter project by observing birds in your garden for one hour.
• Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust: Report sightings of any species of butterflies and moths seen in the country, report sightings of pests affecting monarchs and milkweed, or participate in tagging of monarchs.
• Ahi Pepe | MothNet: Geared toward teachers and students, this project collects data on moth distribution while connecting children to the natural world.
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network’s Phenology Recording System: Observe vascular plants and record data to help scientists better understand life cycles of individual species.
• Cacocphony Project: Assist with the development and testing of a cloud-based citizen science project to turn birdsong recordings into data which could be used to develop better methods of protecting native birds.
• Forest Monitoring and Assessment Kit (FORMAK): Obtain a kit and collect data to assess the ecosystem health of a native forest near you.
• DOC Marine Mammal Sightings and Project Jonah: Report sightings of marine mammals, including whales and dolphins, to help scientists better understand their movements and population size.
• DOC Herpetofauna Database: Report your sightings of reptiles and frogs to be added to a national database to better understand these species.
• Wildlife Hotlines: Report sightings of sick or dead native animals to help government agencies manage and understand wildlife disease outbreaks.
• MPI’s Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline: Report sightings of any plant or animal pests, as well as signs of plant or animal disease.
• DOC Bird Banding: Report sightings of banded birds or unattached bird bands to help scientists collect monitoring data.
• Kiwi Coast: Listen for kiwi calls and report your findings to help researchers monitor kiwi locations along Northland’s east coast.
• Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust: This South Taranaki reserve offers weekly volunteer projects, some of which focus on ecological monitoring and surveys of birds.
• Project Hotspot: Along the Taranaki coast, report your sightings of four threatened species: orca, reef heron, little blue penguin, and New Zealand fur seal.
• Auckland Council Bat and Frog Spotters: Report sightings of native bats and Hochstetter’s frogs in the Auckland area to help researchers understand and protect these species.
• Wai Care: Provides resources to groups in the Auckland area wanting to monitor the water quality of their local streams.
• Project Echo: Report sightings of long-tailed bats in Hamilton to help researchers better understand the population distribution of this species.
• Waikato Native Bird Sightings: Report sightings of korimako, kākā, kererū, tūī, and kārearea in the Waikato region to help researchers monitor species distribution.
• Styx Living Laboratory Trust: Participate in community monitoring programs focused on water quality, invertebrates, and vegetation of the Styx River.

This list is updated periodically. Do you know of an additional citizen science project that should be added to this list? If so, please comment below.

Return to Home page