The Urchin Density Challenge

Rissa Citizen Science is restoring kelp forests in Northern Norway with volunteers on three sites: two in Tromsø and one in Øksfjord. Volunteers could participate in this effort by joining the monthly events. But this is changing! The Urchin Density Challenge takes citizen science to the next level, inviting people around the world to document biodiversity changes in areas where we are restoring kelp forests.

At each event, one of our snorkelers takes around thirty photos of a 50×50 cm frame placed randomly on the seabed, both inside and outside the restoration area. These images help us track changes in sea urchin density and biodiversity over time. And this is where you come in! All you need to do is count the sea urchins you can spot inside the frame.

The first step is to download the Rissa’s mobile app from Google Play or the Apple Store. Open the app, select the Urchin Density Challenge, and start counting urchins! You can also look at the photos on Rissa Citizen Science’s website if you want to see larger images.

The Urchin Density Challenge is launched by Rissa Citizen Science as part of the Ocean Green Project. It the first project of its kind to combine large-scale urchin removal technology, scientific research, and community involvement. It is led by Ava Ocean, in partnership with NIBIO, NIVA, Hofseth Biocare, Akvaplan niva and Across Nature.
The Urchin Density Challenge is also a collaboration between Rissa Citizen Science and the University of Tromsø. A Master’s student use the data collected by citizen scientists to evaluate the data’s reliability and study how biodiversity and biomass are changing at the kelp forest restoration site.