Censing emblematic and non-indigenous species in the mediterranean
To preserve the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, the RAMOGE Agreement encourages the participation of all sea users in the census of heritage and non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean.
Emblematic species are considered indicators of an ecosystem’s ecological health, highlighting the importance of monitoring their distribution to better protect them. Find more information on the emblematic species monitored by the RAMOGE Agreement.
Non-indigenous species are species that have been introduced and are not naturally present in the Mediterranean. If they manage to establish, they can become invasive and have considerable impacts on biodiversity, the economy, and even human health. Monitoring their establishment is therefore essential. Find more information on the non-indigenous species monitored by the RAMOGE Agreement.
What data to collect?
If you observe any of these species, note the observation site information (date, location, depth, habitat type), as well as abundance, size, and possibly behavior and whether it is an adult or a juvenile.
Find the desired form for each species in the emblematic or non-indigenous species sheets.
Photos or videos of the species are highly recommended.
How to share your observations?
Option 1: CROMIS
The RAMOGE Agreement collaborates with the FFESSM (French federation of submarine studies and sports) as part of their online citizen science tool, CROMIS. Created in 2020, this platform allows any user to record their observations worldwide.
To include your observations, create an account and click on “Nouvelle plongée” (New dive). Be sure to check the box allowing you to become an “observ’actor” and share your observations.
Fill out the form on the characteristics of your dive/apnea. At the end, there is a section “Mes observations” (My observations) where you can select the species observed during your dive. The option “Filtrer et trier par” (Filter and sort by) then “Caractères remarquables” (Remarkable features) allows you to select the species studied by the RAMOGE Agreement.
Adding photos or videos (up to 4) allows access to a more detailed questionnaire specific to each species. This also ensures internal validation by the CROMIS teams regarding the species’ identity.
If you do not have photos or videos of the observation, you can enter all the collected information in the “Commentaires” (Comments) section at the end of the form.
OPTION 2 : Contact RAMOGE
As the CROMIS website is currently only available in French, any non-French speakers can share their observations by contacting the Secretariat of the RAMOGE Agreement. Share all the information gathered from your surveys and any photos and videos.
The RAMOGE Agreement can then centralize the data on CROMIS.
What are your census results used for?
All the information collected on CROMIS is transmitted to the scientific partners of FFESSM.
Observations collected in the Mediterranean on emblematic and non-indigenous species monitored by the RAMOGE Agreement will also be transmitted to the reference scientists of the three countries in the Agreement.
In three years, CROMIS has accumulated more than 150,000 observations, nearly half of which are in the Mediterranean. These censuses, carried out through citizen science, thus provide a significant contribution and represent valuable data for scientists. Increasing knowledge about species population distribution will enable the development of appropriate measures for protecting emblematic species and managing non-indigenous species.
