THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL
How to participate
Your camera, the MINKA platform and the BioMARathon community. That’s all you need to take part in the global citizen science event that discovers and protects our coasts.
Join in the friendly competition to record the maximum number of observations of coastal and sub-aquatic species.
Choose your BioMARathon
BioMARathons are held all over the world, so you can be part of the one you like the most or the one closest to you. You choose how to participate:
On your own. Take your camera and photograph terrestrial or marine species along the coast.
In a scheduled activity. Sign up for an organized snorkeling or scuba diving activity.
Record your observations
Organizing a BioMARathon offers a series of advantages for research centers, companies, administration or entities
1
Wildlife photography
2
Share your photos
3
Learn and talk
Take part responsibly
Respect the natural environment and follow the safety rules, especially if you go snorkelling or scuba diving. Each BioMARathon takes place in a different region, so please check the regulations and conditions in each case.
How to use the MINKA platform
Access to MINKA
- Through the website: https://minka-sdg.org/
- Download the application on Play Store or App Store
Create an account or log in
Minimum age to participate in MINKA
MINKA requires users to be over 18 to comply with data protection regulations and ensure responsible participation. Since it involves sharing location and biodiversity data, it aligns with GDPR and European safety standards for online platforms. This restriction ensures a secure and legally compliant environment.
More information:
- Safer Social Networking Principles for the EU
- Digital Agenda: children using social networks at a younger age; many unaware of basic privacy risks, says survey
Minors and supervised participation
Participants under 18 can take part in the BioMARathon under adult supervision (teachers or family members). In these cases, observations must be uploaded using an adult’s account.
Using MINKA in Educational Settings
Schools that wish to participate can do so through teachers, who can manage accounts and upload students’ observations using a secure identification system (e.g., anonymous codes).
Check and compare your observations with those of other participants
- Upload your geo-referenced photographs
- Add information about the species you have found
Can you help us to identify species?
If you are an expert in species identification, help us verify the fauna and flora observations that our community uploads to MINKA!
Your contribution will enable the BioMARathon databases to attain the Research Grade, thus guaranteeing their usefulness for scientific purposes and territorial and biodiversity management.
Resources for learning to identify species:
