Mozambique participated in the Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) 2025, an international initiative that brought together biologists, conservationists, students, and the general public to record observations of organisms on the iNaturalist platform, promoting the knowledge of biodiversity in the southern hemisphere. The event took place between October 24 and 27, 2025.
In Mozambique, the activity was organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as part of the Spatial Biodiversity Assesment Priorrization and Planning (SBAPP) project funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Fonds Français Pour ´Environnment Mondial (FFEM). As part of the preparatory activities, a lusophone webinar in the use of iNaturalist was held on October 21, in partnership with Gorongosa National Park, Jaguarapira Natural Reserve, the Technological University of Paraná, the Biotiba Project, and Pedro de Sá (Angola). The meeting was attended by over 100 participants from Mozambique, Portugal, Angola, and Brazil.
During the webinar, the role of iNaturalist was highlighted as a citizen science platform that brings together communities, researchers, and nature lovers, allowing them to record and share data on biodiversity. The debate also addressed the challenges and opportunities for strengthening citizen science in Portuguese-speaking countries, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and the exchange of experiences.
This was the third GSB organized by WCS, resulting in approximately 1,322 observations, covering 843 species and involving 74 observers. In countries such as Mozambique, where biodiversity studies are limited, the use of platforms such as iNaturalist is essential to involve society in the collection and sharing of scientific information.
The results are still provisional, and participants have until November 10, 2025, to upload the records, and contribute to the identification of species and the enrichment on national biodiversity.
To contribute with records identifications please click here
To have more informations about SBAPP project please click here