How wildlife photography is fuelling biodiversity breakthroughs
- Rachel Baxter
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
The power of citizen science
Wildlife photographers often aim to capture the weird and the wonderful — from enigmatic and shy rare species to bizarre behaviours seldom seen by human eyes — but their impacts go further than artistry. Wildlife photographers are accelerating research into the natural world.
From camera to conservation
A new study published in BioScience looks into the effects of photos submitted to the online community platform iNaturalist on real-world research.
Via iNaturalist, anyone can share their nature photos and audio recordings with fellow wildlife enthusiasts. Users can discuss images and help to identify the subjects. Once an image passes the community’s vetting process and is deemed to be “research grade”, it is then added to scientific databases like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). GBIF is funded by international governments and its data can be used for free by scientists studying biodiversity across the globe.
"This study is the first to systematically assess the full scope of how iNaturalist data are being used in research," says lead study author Brittany Mason from the University of Florida.
Mason’s team carried out a systematic review of iNaturalist data mentions in peer-reviewed scientific research. They found iNaturalist data usage has increased 10-fold over the past 5 years — with data covering 128 countries and 638 taxonomic families (groups of closely related animals) cited in scientific literature.
One key use of iNaturalist data is species distribution modelling and range mapping — essentially tracking where different species are and how far their populations spread geographically. Clearer pictures of species distributions help conservationists determine how best to protect endangered plants, fungi and animals.
But iNaturalist doesn’t just feed into distribution data. Contributions have also led to the discoveries of brand new species. For example, back in 2013 a photo of a vibrant red and black frog led to the discovery of a new species of poison dart frog — Andinobates cassidyhornae or Cassidy’s poison dart frog — from the Colombian Andes.
A photo taken in Vietnam also led to the rediscovery of a snail first found during Captain James Cook’s South Sea Voyages in the latter half of the 18th Century. The image, captured in 2014, provided the first known photograph of a living adult snail of the species Myxostoma petiverianum.
The rise of citizen science
Citizen science — which gives everyone the opportunity to collect data and contribute to scientific research — has boomed in recent years.
In the UK, the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch asks bird enthusiasts to count the birds they see in their back garden or local park once a year. For over 40 years this has helped the charity monitor wild bird populations. The 2025 Big Garden Birdwatch saw more than 590,000 people get involved to count an impressive 9.1 million birds.
Meanwhile, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has been asking citizen scientists to report sightings of marine mammals in the Thames River since 2004. Over the past 21 years, locals have spotted 2,288 harbour seals and 101 dolphins cruising through the capital (check out this interactive map of sightings). The numbers are helping ZSL better understand and conserve UK marine mammal populations, which face threats such as pollution, warming waters and entanglement in fishing gear.
"By contributing observations and identifications, everyday citizens become key players in tackling one of the planet's most pressing challenges: biodiversity loss," notes senior author of the new research paper Corey Callaghan. "Millions of people are now directly shaping how we understand and conserve biodiversity.
"Now, an important frontier remains to really understand how iNaturalist data can be strategically paired with other biodiversity data to continue to inform biodiversity and conservation work in the future," Callaghan adds.
You can join the iNaturalist community and upload your photos here.
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