Using Citizen Science to Detect Rare and Endangered Species: New Records of the Great White Shark Carcharodon Carcharias off the Libyan Coast.

The presence of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean Sea is well documented, but encounters with this species are rare and all assumptions about its spatial and temporal distribution are heavily relying on anecdotal observations. To date, only one record off the Libyan coast has been reported, raising the question if this species is underreported in these waters or simply represents a rare occasional transient. We utilised citizen science-sourced data to document the presence of the great white shark off the Libyan coast, and found six additional records for this species from the period between 2017 and 2020. Our study points out the need for scientific monitoring of this species along the Libyan coast to facilitate the establishment of effective conservation plans to protect this critically endangered species.

The role of social media in compensating for the lack of field studies: Five new fish species for Mediterranean Egypt.

In the Mediterranean Sea, where biological invasions constitute a serious threat, the combination of citizen science and social networks amplified the power of proper field studies, recording species that would have otherwise presumably passed unnoticed. Based on data collected on several Facebook groups, we hereby first report the presence of five fish taxa (Kyphosus sp., Heniochus intermedius, Pomacanthus imperator, Pomacanthus maculosus and Abudefduf sp.) new for the Mediterranean Egypt, revise their distribution in the Mediterranean Sea and discuss their possible introduction pathways. Finally, we provide some considerations on the potentiality of social media for citizen science projects.