From Fins to Phones: Smarter Marine Survey Training

29.05.2025

Twice a year, our conservation team heads underwater for one of the most important monitoring efforts on Fregate Island: the marine biodiversity survey. During this time, the team dives at multiple sites around the island, recording fish, invertebrates, corals, and other marine life. These surveys provide vital information on how our reef ecosystems are changing over time, but they also require a lot of preparation.

Before the first dive begins, the team needs to review and memorize dozens of species. That is why a new tool has been developed to make this process easier.

The Marine Survey App was created by our IT Coordinator, Coundray Julienne, and Zoe Stimpson, Conservation and Sustainability Officer. The app allows the team to study directly from their phones, helping them to learn faster and more efficiently.

Each species entry includes:

  • A photo for identification
  • Common and scientific names
  • Family group
  • Biological and ecological details
  • Conservation status and more

The app was built using FlutterFlow, a modern development platform that makes it easy to create clean, user-friendly designs. It focuses on species commonly found in the waters around Seychelles and was tailored specifically for Fregate’s monitoring work.

With this app, our team can prepare more confidently for each survey, and we are excited to keep improving the tools that support our conservation efforts, both above and below water.

 

We are grateful to all the photographers who contributed their images — each is credited directly in the app. A special thank you to Ryan Daly from the Oceanographic Research Institute in South Africa for his photographic contribution.