Another post about cool orgs doing cool things (and a chance to post some photos).
Fun fact! Marine Iguanas are the only extant marine reptile, foraging on algae in coastal waters of the Galapagos. I think they have fascinating faces - not to anthropomorphize to much - but they look like they have a beatific smile while they bask in the sun. They populate almost every island and are seemingly flourishing - however they are still considered threatened by factors such as introduced predators and ocean pollution, and so getting an accurate idea of how many there are is important.
Iguanas from Above is a scientific research and conservation org tackling this problem via modern mapping technology and citizen science. The team flies drones to generate orthomosaic maps across the scattered islands of the archipelago, and from those are conducting survey counts to understand the population.
They are currently running a project on Zooniverse to analyze recently collected data. I love Zooniverse - it’s a really cool way for people around the world to make contributions to worthy endeavors. It’s fun and can easily fit into a busy schedule. Check out more info below! Help count iguanas!
