Resounding Success at the Autumn Biomarathon 2023!
Once again, we celebrate a resounding success at the Autumn Biomarathon, with a sweet aftertaste that motivates us to remind you enthusiastically that the next Biomarathon will be the Winter one, and we count on your participation.
Autumn Biomarathon 2023
Biomarathons are Citizen Science events that call on participants armed with devices to explore the biodiversity of their surroundings. They virtually capture images of animals and plants, record animal sounds, and document signs of life such as feathers, tracks, droppings, or burrows. All these valuable captures are shared on platforms like iNaturalist, Observation.org, and eBird, enriching databases for large-scale scientific research.
The last Biomarathon, held during autumn 2023 with more than 2900 participants, concluded with 60,981 observations of 4,097 different species (Figure 1). Furthermore, we can see that the vast majority of observations are of birds, demonstrating once again the naturalist enthusiasm of birdwatchers and their eagerness to share their findings. Beyond the significant data contribution to science, this event provided numerous participants the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the flora and fauna of their natural environment. The photographs and recordings collected expand databases used in scientific studies on biogeography (species distribution) or phenology (the period of species presence or phases of their life cycles), among others. These disciplines are crucial for understanding changes in ecosystems due to global change, including climate change, land use changes, or habitat fragmentation.
Citizen Science events play a vital role in boosting biodiversity databases in a short period of time. In this biomarathon, the high number of observed species stood out, breaking the record for the biomarathons we have been organizing for years. The data collected is highly valuable for all groups of living beings and becomes even more important when we strive to photograph lesser-known groups of fauna and flora, such as arthropods, mosses, ferns, small wild plants, and fungi.
In this ongoing effort to explore and understand our environment, we hope the next Winter Biomarathon will be equally successful and enriching for citizen science. Join us on this exciting adventure of discovery and contribution to scientific research!
Figure 1. Results of the Autumn Biomarathon 2023. Above, a pie chart of total observations classified into major groups. Below, a bar chart showing the percentage of observations on each platform by each group.
Highlights of the Autumn Biomarathon 2023
In events like these, participants occasionally photograph (unknowingly) animal and plant species that were not inventoried in their environments or had not been seen for many years. Some of the most notable observations (Figure 2) of this edition were of birds and spiders.
A Red Phalarope was observed in Manzanares el Real (Madrid). What is peculiar about this species is that the sexual role is reversed: females are larger and have more vibrant plumage than males. Additionally, it is the females that court the males, compete for territory, and aggressively defend their mates and nests. When females lay their eggs, they migrate south, and it is the males that stay to incubate the eggs and care for the young.
A specimen of Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) was also observed in Muxía (A Coruña), possibly due to recent storms and the unusual weather in northern Europe last year that caused its abnormal migration, not seen since 2013.
From Observation.org comes the fantastic sighting of a Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata), seen in Fuerteventura. This is a typical bird of South America that migrates north during the summer; however, sometimes a specimen gets lost and ends up elsewhere. In this case, it would be the first recorded observation in Spain.
It is also worth mentioning the appearance of a possible species of spider from the Nemesiidae family not seen since 1931 in Portugal (Nemesia berlandi). However, the difficulty in identifying arthropod species through photographs means that this observation has not been confirmed, as many characteristics can only be seen under a magnifying glass or even a microscope.
Lastly, another noteworthy observation is of another spider, the sheet weaver spider Pecado impudicus. This spider has very few observations in digital databases; the iNaturalist observation is the first on this platform and the third on the Iberian Peninsula, according to GBIF.
Figure 2. Top left: Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) (photo by JA Sarry). Top right: Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) (photo by Ángel Hernando). Center: Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) (photo by Pepis Beiró). Bottom left: possible Nemesia berlandi (photo by Nuno Campos). And finally, bottom right: Pecado impudicus (photo by user aggranada).
Have you ever thought that your next discovery could be the key to preserving our incredible planet? Awaken the explorer within you and join the next Biomarathon for a greener future full of natural surprises!
Organized by Iberozoa, ANAPRI, ARBA Tres Cantos, and Biotura.
For any questions or suggestions, you can write to biomaraton.natura@gmail.com.
Eva Cuesta (BIOTURA), Sabela Cordeiro (IBEROZOA), Fernando Fernández (BIOTURA), Antonio Martín (IBEROZOA), Manuel Molina (ARBA TRES CANTOS), and Eduardo Ramírez (ANAPRI).-