Elasmobranch Observations from Citizen Science in Mozambique, 2007-2025

408 elasmobranch records from the iNaturalist platform collected between 2007 and 2025, documenting 44 species along the Mozambican coast. The dataset was authored by Dércio Maoze and published on figshare in 2026. A high proportion (71%) of recorded species are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatio-temporal patterns of elasmobranch observations based on the described records from 2007-2025.
• Assess conservation gaps by comparing record density with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as mentioned in the description.
• Evaluate species composition and threat status based on the reported dominance of rays and sharks and IUCN classifications.
• Inform targeted monitoring and policy revision in Mozambique using the citizen science data as a complementary tool.

Strengths

• 408 research-grade records, with 82% classified as research grade supporting reliability.
• Covers a significant time span from 2007 to 2025, showing increased records since 2019.
• Documents 44 species, accounting for 32% of the 137 elasmobranch species previously reported in Mozambique.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Observations are spatially biased toward southern provinces, reflecting inconsistencies in sampling effort.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

iNaturalist citizen science platform.

Collection Method

Citizen science observations compiled for research.

Time Range

2007 to 2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-27 04:14:44; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mozambican coast, with noted bias toward southern areas like Inhambane and Maputo provinces.