Elasmobranch Observations from iNaturalist Along the Mozambican Coast, 2007-2025

From 2007 to 2025, 408 citizen science records from iNaturalist document elasmobranch species along the Mozambican coast. The dataset, created by Dércio Maoze, includes 44 species, with 71% classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List. Most records (82%) are research grade, and the data reveals spatial biases in sampling effort and gaps in marine protected area coverage.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial and temporal trends in elasmobranch observations based on the 2007-2025 time series.
• Assessing conservation status representation based on the IUCN Red List classifications for 44 species.
• Identifying geographic sampling biases and protection gaps based on the overlap with Important Shark and Ray Areas and Marine Protected Areas.
• Evaluating the utility of citizen science data for national reporting and policy revision in Mozambique.

Strengths

• Includes 408 research-grade records, with 82% classified as research grade, supporting data reliability.
• Covers a significant time span from 2007 to 2025, allowing for temporal trend analysis.
• Documents 44 elasmobranch species, accounting for 32% of the species previously reported in Mozambique.
• Provides concrete conservation context, with 71% of recorded species classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data reflects a documented spatial bias toward southern Mozambique, particularly Inhambane and Maputo provinces.

Provenance

Source

iNaturalist platform

Collection Method

Citizen science observations

Time Range

2007 to 2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-27 04:14:43; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mozambican coast, Western Indian Ocean