ReefBlitz 2025: A celebration of citizen science and ocean action
- comms514
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Reef Ecologic brought community and science together to make waves for World Oceans Day.
ReefBlitz has wrapped up for another year. Timed with World Oceans Day (June 8), the annual event celebrates the diversity of life found in and around the Great Barrier Reef.
From seasoned scuba divers to first-time reef explorers, participants try to find and identify as many species as possible, in a specific area over a short period of time. This year’s week-long blitz saw 142 citizen scientists help record over 2,000 observations across 580+ species.
Whether it’s spotting fish darting through coral, birds gliding over the coast, or important reef-building corals, every observation adds to our collective understanding of the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.
What makes ReefBlitz fin-tastic?
Spearheaded by Reef Ecologic, one of our partners, ReefBlitz thrives on collaboration and community passion, connecting everyday ocean lovers with scientists, tourism operators, and reef managers.
CEO of Reef Ecologic, Dr Adam Smith says ReefBlitz is powered by the community. Each year we’ve seen more people diving in, taking photos, identifying species and connecting with the Reef.
“Thanks to citizen scientists, and the local partners who help bring this event to life, we’re learning more and more about reef communities.
“From beginners to experts, together we’re learning, sharing and exploring,” said Adam.
Over the week, citizen scientists joined local boat and dive tours, visiting beaches, islands and reefs, to snap photos of wildlife. These observations were later uploaded to iNaturalist, a global biodiversity database that helps turn everyday sightings into valuable scientific data.
An o-fish-al part of research
Observing and photographing marine life, whether it’s a colourful fish or coral, helps build a valuable record of biodiversity, and reveals some fascinating insights about reef ecosystems.
“Observations may show how reef communities change over time,” says Adam. “We might discover a new species, or it may reveal that some fish species swim further north or south than we knew.”
Every photo counts. Every species matters. And this year, fish stole the show, making up more than half of all sightings. Molluscs like giant clams and a range of marine birds also made their mark. Corals, sea cucumbers, and other marine invertebrates rounded out the count.
Leading the pack was the sixband parrotfish, a key reef grazer that helps corals thrive by feeding on algae.
“Algae can smother corals and competes with young corals for space,” explains Adam. “By keeping it in check, parrotfish help protect the balance of a reef.”
For Adam, though, the most thrilling sightings are always the sharks and rays, with 14 species spotted this year alone.
“Data from ReefBlitz goes beyond the event,” says Adam. “It feeds into iNaturalist, contributes to biodiversity guides, supports education and training, and informs scientific research.”
In 2025, two new species ID guides were released, one for Magnetic Island and another for John Brewer Reef, and a scientific paper is in the works to compare findings across the last four years.
Scroll through to see which species rounded out the top 10 most sighted during this year's ReefBlitz.
Sixband Parrotfish 2. Australasian Darter 3. Goldstripe Butterflyfish 4. Goldlined Rabbitfish 5. Silver Gull
6. Bengal Sergeant 7. Little Black Cormorant 8. Great Barracuda 9. Grey sweetlips 10. Little Egret
Top of the pod (in citizen science)
ReefBlitz may only run for a week, but citizen science doesn’t need to end when the event does.
Executive Officer of the Healthy Waters Partnership, Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins says ReefBlitz is a fantastic opportunity for people to develop new skills, explore our reefs and coasts, and learn about the incredible wildlife that lives above, below and around us.
“Events like ReefBlitz help to position Townsville as a leader in marine citizen science,” she said.
“Across the Partnership, which includes Reef Ecologic, there are several ways for the community to get involved, collect data and contribute to environmental monitoring. The more data we gather, the better we understand our environment to make informed decisions,” Kara-Mae added.
Want to Get Involved?
Help analyse data or contribute to a scientific paper comparing ReefBlitz data over the last four years. Contact Dr Adam Smith to get stuck in: adam.smith@reefecologic.org
Dust off your camera next May, in anticipation of the 2026 ReefBlitz event, commencing June 1. Follow Reef Ecologic on Facebook to stay in the know.
Become a citizen scientist and gather data to improve the health of our rivers, creeks, and coasts. Our Partners have a number of projects you can help with.
Roll up your sleeves and help our waterways at a volunteering gig run by our Partners.
Thanks to Museum of Underwater Art, Yongala Dive, Sealink NQ, Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive, Pleasure Divers Magnetic Island and others for supporting ReefBlitz in 2025.
