Shark Spy

Shark Spy is a citizen science project coordinated by the University of Otago’s Marine Studies Centre. It empowers communities and schools in New Zealand to gather baseline data on local shark species through sightings and underwater video analysis. The goal is to fill gaps in shark demographic data by identifying species, estimating abundance, and tracking patterns of shark activity in coastal environments. Data collected contributes to conservation planning and is shared openly via iNaturalist for broader public use.