Monitoring Seals and Beyond in Snæfellsnes - Citizen science project
This summer, a citizen science pilot project was created in partnership between the Youth for Arctic Nature project, NorReg, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Snæfellsnes Regional Park, the Icelandic Seal Center, Hotel Snæfellsnes, and the Ytri tunga landowners. Participants collected seal monitoring data and answered questionnaires after the activity so more could be learned about their experiences. Overall, this pilot action was successful as it set good foundations for the future with positive feedback from local partners and participants. Going forward, we would like to continue and improve seal monitoring at Ytri tunga, and to widen the scope of this project to include other local wildlife, with the aim to:
Contribute to scientific research on seals and other species in the future
Help youth and others who want to learn more about wildlife monitoring through environmental education and training
Connect with local schools and local stakeholders in Snæfellsnes to establish long-term monitoring projects
A meeting with the project’s stakeholders is scheduled at the end of the month to discuss next steps.
Photos are by Leo Guedes, a Snæfellsnes local and participant who sent us some of the beautiful pictures he took while participating in seal monitoring. Although the seals look to be very close, it is important to remember that these photos were taken with a long lens – while seal-watching, please stay at least 100 meters away from seals when possible.
