Citizen Science Program

Citizen Science for
UAE Marine Conservation

Every catch you log becomes a data point in a living database that scientists use to understand, protect, and sustainably manage UAE marine ecosystems.

Join the Research Community

Every Catch Tells a Story

When you log a catch on UAE Anglers Hub — the species, location, size, date, and conditions — you're contributing to one of the most comprehensive recreational fishing datasets in the region.

Traditional fisheries science relies on expensive research surveys. Citizen science amplifies this by collecting thousands of data points from anglers who are already out on the water every day.

With scientific names, GPS-linked spots, and temporal data, our community creates a picture of UAE marine life that no research budget alone could replicate.

45

Verified Fishing Locations

33

Fish Species Tracked

Daily

New Catch Records Added

7

Emirates Covered

How Your Data Helps

Four pillars of marine research powered by community catch logs.

Species Distribution Mapping

GPS-tagged catches build a real-time map of where species are found across UAE waters — Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and beyond. This helps identify critical habitats and no-take zones.

Population Health Monitoring

Average size and weight data over time reveals whether fish populations are healthy, under pressure, or recovering. A shrinking average size often signals overfishing before populations collapse.

Seasonal Migration Patterns

Catch dates and locations reveal the migration timing of pelagic species like Kingfish, Queenfish, and Dorado. This data helps predict optimal fishing seasons and protect spawning aggregations.

Climate Impact Assessment

Year-over-year changes in species distribution, seasonal timing, and population size are key indicators of how climate change is affecting UAE marine ecosystems and fisheries.

Research Partnership

MOCCAE Collaboration

UAE Anglers Hub is an active partner in marine genomics research in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). Our community data informs evidence-based fisheries management decisions.

We support non-lethal sampling and citizen science methodologies — enabling population studies without the need for destructive research surveys. Catch-measure-photograph-release, combined with scientific name logging, provides the data resolution that researchers need.

Our community data directly supports the UAE 2030 Fisheries Sustainability Targets — working toward food security, ecosystem health, and sustainable use of UAE marine resources for generations to come.

Non-lethal samplingCitizen science dataUAE 2030 targetsMarine genomics
Mobile App

Ocean Sentinel App

Take the species database to sea with Ocean Sentinel — our offline-capable AI fish identification app. Identify any fish from a photo, get instant scientific names, habitat info, and conservation status — even without a cell signal.

Snap a photo, get an ID, log the catch with scientific name — all from your phone on the boat. Your data syncs to uaeangler.com when you're back in range.

Learn about Ocean Sentinel
Identify Fish

Join the Research Community

Sign up for free and start contributing your catch data to UAE marine science today.