Seven years and going strong: a comparative review of citizen Science, social media mining and field surveys in monitoring Libyan marine biodiversity
Published:
Jun 15, 2026
Keywords:
Annotated checklist Ethics North Africa Non-indigenous species
Abstract
Libyan marine biodiversity is often described as under-studied and under-reported. However, in the past seven years, there has been a surge in the reporting of non-indigenous, and native species with the help of citizen science, social media mining-based research and field surveys. This review provides an updated checklist of non-indigenous fish species in Libyan waters. Between 2018 and July 2025, 14 non-indigenous species (NIS) and four range-expanding (RE) species were documented. Furthermore, between 2018 and July 2025, 27 species belonging to eight phyla (Porifera, Bryozoa, Tunicata, Cnidaria, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Decapoda, and Echinodermata) were recorded, including 23 NIS, one RE and three cryptogenic species. Additionally, this review paper draws a direct comparison between the scientific outcomes of citizen science, social media mining, and field surveys within the same time frame. The differences between the two main methods are discussed, with active and passive citizen science and social media mining produced the most non-indigenous fish species, while field surveys excelled in documenting native fish species, as well as small and minute species. Furthermore, this review addresses the implications of using citizen science and social media mining, pointing out the ethical concerns that have arisen from the methodologies observed in several scientific studies that employ these methods.
Article Details
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RIZGALLA, J. (2026). Seven years and going strong: a comparative review of citizen Science, social media mining and field surveys in monitoring Libyan marine biodiversity. Mediterranean Marine Science, 27(2), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.42144
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- Review Article
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