Are you a Coral Observer?

Coral spawning is one of the ocean’s most remarkable events. During a short window, sometimes lasting only minutes, corals release eggs and sperm, or for some species, larvae, into the water. These reproductive events sustain coral populations, genetic diversity, and the capacity of reefs to recover after disturbance.

Yet coral spawning remains under-documented across much of the Caribbean. Observations depend on people being in the right place at the right time. Valuable knowledge is held by a geographically dispersed community of researchers, restoration practitioners, dive professionals, volunteers, aquarists, and local reef users. Without an accessible way to record and share their observations, much of this information never becomes part of the scientific record. Coral Observer provides a free, standardized way to contribute that knowledge.

Connecting local observations with a regional resource

Coral Observer is a progressive web app that allows people to record when, where, and how they monitored for coral spawning. This includes occasions when spawning was expected but not observed.

The platform connects new observations with the Caribbean Coral Spawning Database, coordinated by AGRRA and developed through years of contributions from coral-spawning researchers and practitioners. This shared regional resource contains historical records from across the Caribbean.

By making it easier to submit consistently structured records, Coral Observer can help the spawning community:

•  Document reproductive timing across species and locations.

• Identify geographic and temporal gaps in existing knowledge.

• Examine how spawning patterns vary among years and environmental conditions.

• Improve the information available for spawning predictions.

• Support assisted fertilization, larval propagation, and restoration planning.

Designed for observers and field teams

Coral Observer was developed with the practical realities of spawning monitoring in mind. Researchers, restoration teams, dive professionals, community scientists, and aquarists can record:

• Observation location and monitoring effort.

• Coral species or taxon.

• Number of colonies monitored and spawning.

• Spawning start and end times.

• In-situ or aquarium observations.

• Occasions when spawning was expected but not seen.

Structured prompts help reduce data-entry errors, while offline functionality allows records to be entered where internet access is unreliable. Contributors can export their submissions in `.csv` format for their own records and research. The export structure is compatible with that used by the wider Caribbean coral-spawning community.

The platform was created with volunteer technical expertise from Quantum.co, whose team donated its time to support coral conservation.

From Akumal to a Caribbean collaboration

The idea for Coral Observer grew from my experience leading Expedition Akumal, a community-based reef-restoration programme in Mexico.

Working with Hotel Akumal Caribe, Akumal Dive Center, the Coralium Laboratory at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Coral Conservation Society, SECORE International, Operation Wallacea, and local and international volunteers, I helped establish coral-spawning monitoring and collection activities in Akumal.

This experience showed me the value of locally held expertise, but also the barriers that can prevent observations from entering formal scientific networks.

Coral Observer extends a principle that has shaped my work since Akumal: people who live, work, dive, and conduct restoration around reefs are not simply audiences for coral science. They are knowledge holders, collaborators, and contributors to it.

Broadening participation in coral-spawning science

Making an app freely available is only a first step. Meaningful participation also depends on trusted relationships, locally relevant training, recognition for contributors, accessible information, connectivity, and clear feedback about how submitted observations are used.

Our current broadening-participation work is focused on building capacity and creating more visible routes into the Caribbean coral-spawning community. This includes:

• Sharing accessible information about spawning biology and monitoring.

• Helping prospective observers understand how to participate.

• Highlighting the expertise and contributions of Caribbean practitioners and field teams.

• Supporting connections among observers, scientists, and regional networks.

• Learning what prevents people with reef access and experience from contributing to existing scientific systems.

This work is being advanced through a student-led initiative coordinated by Amanda Melendez at the University of Puerto Rico* in collaboration with the Coral Conservation Society, AGRRA, SECORE International, Coralium Laboratory, and members of the Caribbean coral-spawning network.

Early use of Coral Observer demonstrates that the contribution process can work across multiple teams and locations. Our next challenge is to build sustained and reciprocal participation, while ensuring that the platform develops in response to the priorities and experiences of its contributors.

How to contribute

1.  Prepare for monitoring 

Consult regional spawning predictions and local experts to identify likely dates and species. Predictions are a guide rather than a guarantee, and local knowledge remains essential.

2. Observe

Coral Observer can be used for observations made on scuba, while snorkelling, or in aquarium and restoration facilities. Record the species, location, number of colonies monitored, and the timing of any reproductive activity.

3. Submit your record

Visit Coral Observer to enter your observation. The app can be used online or offline, allowing data to be recorded directly in the field.

4. Record what did not happen

If you monitored during a predicted spawning window but did not observe spawning, submit that record too. Documented monitoring effort and non-spawning observations provide important context for interpreting reproductive patterns.

Why your observation matters

No single research team can monitor coral reproduction across the entire Caribbean. Building a more complete picture depends on the combined knowledge of people working across many reefs, islands, facilities, and organizations.

By contributing, you can help strengthen the evidence available for understanding coral reproduction and supporting restoration. You also become part of a growing effort to make coral-spawning science more collaborative, accessible, and representative of the people already caring for and studying Caribbean reefs.

Your knowledge of a reef matters. Help make it part of the record.

Start observing with Coral Observer

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Together, we can turn every dive into data for reef conservation.