The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) is an international event focused on increasing biodiversity awareness through citizen science. Held annually in the spring across the Southern Hemisphere, the goal of GSB is to document as many living species as possible within specific regions during a short period. This biodiversity surveying event, conducted through the iNaturalist platforms , aims to engage the public in observing and recording species, making nature learning accessible to everyone. The event is known internationally as the Gran Biobúsqueda del Sur in Spanish and Grande BioBlitz do Hemisfério Sul in Portuguese.
Taking place from September 20-23, 2024, GSB 2024 aims to celebrate the burst of springtime activity when flowers bloom, insects emerge, and wildlife becomes more active. Participants and organizers alike can engage through various local projects, social media, and through the iNaturalist platform. The hashtag #GSB24 is used to promote participation and results.
GSB Statistics:
2024 saw a record number of participants, with over 256,000 observations and 33,470 unique species recorded by 8,441 observers.
Statistics from previous years show a steady increase in participation, with 225,000 observations in 2023 and 177,000 in 2021.
The event involves regions from Africa, Oceania, and South America, showcasing global biodiversity hotspots and emphasizing the importance of community-driven conservation efforts. The data includes both casual and verified scientific records, providing invaluable information for biodiversity research.
The GSB continues to grow, with more people joining each year to celebrate and document the natural world.
The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) has seen significant growth in participation, observations, and taxon diversity over the past five years, reflecting increased engagement and awareness of biodiversity through citizen science. Since its inception in 2020, the numbers have shown consistent upward trends across several metrics, both globally and by continent.
Overall Growth (2020-2024):
2020: The inaugural year of GSB recorded 70,959 observations from 2,512 observers, documenting 14,875 unique taxa.
2021: Participation more than doubled, with 177,934 observations and 27,991 unique taxa recorded by 5,585 observers.
2022: The numbers continued to rise with 201,646 observations, 29,519 unique taxa, and 5,938 observers.
2023: GSB saw a further increase, reaching 225,125 observations, 33,218 unique taxa, and 6,964 observers.
2024: The event reached its highest engagement so far, with 256,469 observations, 33,470 unique taxa, and 8,441 observers, representing substantial growth in terms of both participants and biodiversity documented.
This consistent rise in participation reflects the growing popularity of the event, as more people across the Southern Hemisphere become involved in contributing to biodiversity awareness and documentation efforts.
Overall statistics of the Great Southern Bioblitz 2024, number of observations, unique taxa and observers ## Summary All Data
Year | Observations | Unique Taxon | Observers |
2020 | 70959 | 14875 | 2512 |
2021 | 177934 | 27991 | 5585 |
2022 | 201646 | 29519 | 5938 |
2023 | 225125 | 33218 | 6964 |
2024 | 256469 | 33470 | 8441 |
Summary Without Casual Records
Year | Observations | Unique Taxon | Observers |
2020 | 70959 | 14875 | 2512 |
2021 | 170925 | 27301 | 5376 |
2022 | 188606 | 28780 | 5775 |
2023 | 216313 | 32657 | 6829 |
2024 | 249719 | 33024 | 8241 |
Growth by Continent (2020-2024):
Looking at the numbers across the participating continents—Africa, Oceania, and South America—the data reflects significant increases in engagement and biodiversity documented over time:
Africa:
In 2020, Africa had 16,626 observations, with 4,612 unique taxa recorded by 290 observers.
By 2024, Africa saw substantial growth with 111,584 observations, 14,179 unique taxa, and 2,039 observers—a sevenfold increase in participation.
Oceania:
In 2020, Oceania contributed 25,209 observations, 5,156 unique taxa, and 751 observers.
By 2024, Oceania’s numbers surged to 99,137 observations, 14,585 unique taxa, and 4,475 observers—showing robust growth as one of the most active regions for the event.
South America:
Starting in 2020 with 29,124 observations, 6,863 unique taxa, and 1,471 observers, South America has continued to grow steadily.
In 2024, South America recorded 45,748 observations, 10,099 unique taxa, and 1,927 observers—reflecting a strong increase in both the number of taxa and participants.
The total records in each year of the GSB, including casual records
Year | Continent | Observations | Taxon | Observers |
2020 | Africa | 16626 | 4612 | 290 |
2020 | Oceania | 25209 | 5156 | 751 |
2020 | South America | 29124 | 6863 | 1471 |
2021 | Africa | 59375 | 9681 | 962 |
2021 | Oceania | 64441 | 12117 | 2773 |
2021 | South America | 54118 | 10070 | 1850 |
2022 | Africa | 96653 | 13014 | 1566 |
2022 | Oceania | 58655 | 11505 | 2649 |
2022 | South America | 46338 | 9518 | 1723 |
2023 | Africa | 93858 | 12827 | 1534 |
2023 | Oceania | 88439 | 16585 | 3753 |
2023 | South America | 42828 | 9846 | 1678 |
2024 | Africa | 111584 | 14179 | 2039 |
2024 | Oceania | 99137 | 14585 | 4475 |
2024 | South America | 45748 | 10099 | 1927 |
Changes in Observations and Engagement by Continent (without casual records):
Excluding casual records, the statistics also reflect impressive growth:
Africa went from 16,626 observations in 2020 to 107,917 in 2024 without casual records, nearly a sevenfold increase.
Oceania saw a dramatic rise from 25,209 observations in 2020 to 97,406 in 2024 without casual records, representing a significant expansion in engagement and documented biodiversity.
South America experienced a notable increase, going from 29,124 observations in 2020 to 44,396 in 2024 without casual records.
These trends illustrate the rapidly growing interest in biodiversity across the Southern Hemisphere, with all continents showing steady improvements in terms of contributions, observations, and taxonomic diversity. The increased participation and growing number of observers from year to year highlight the event's success in engaging communities and fostering a deeper connection with nature.
Summary Without Casual Records for each year by continent
Year | Continent | Observations | Unique Taxon | Observers |
2020 | Africa | 16626 | 4612 | 290 |
2020 | Oceania | 25209 | 5156 | 751 |
2020 | South America | 29124 | 6863 | 1471 |
2021 | Africa | 56317 | 9233 | 937 |
2021 | Oceania | 63228 | 11790 | 2663 |
2021 | South America | 51380 | 9671 | 1776 |
2022 | Africa | 92179 | 12551 | 1523 |
2022 | Oceania | 57941 | 11329 | 2583 |
2022 | South America | 38486 | 8963 | 1669 |
2023 | Africa | 89943 | 12378 | 1512 |
2023 | Oceania | 87650 | 16392 | 3686 |
2023 | South America | 38720 | 9486 | 1632 |
2024 | Africa | 107917 | 13800 | 1999 |
2024 | Oceania | 97406 | 14323 | 4357 |
2024 | South America | 44396 | 9896 | 1885 |
Africa: A Hub of Engagement and Diversity
In Africa, Namibia emerges as a standout with the highest average records per user at 79.5, coupled with an impressive 53.2 unique taxa. This high level of activity reflects not only strong engagement from participants but also highlights the country’s rich biodiversity. Similarly, South Africa follows closely with 59.3 average records and 41.3 unique taxa, demonstrating that its participants are actively contributing and encountering a wide variety of species.
Other countries in the region also show strong performances. Zimbabwe averages 42.9 records and 32.7 unique taxa, while Botswana follows with 58.0 records and 33.2 unique taxa, reinforcing the region’s overall biodiversity richness. In Kenya, participants recorded an average of 50.5 records and 37.8 unique taxa, reflecting significant contributions and diversity. Eswatini stands out for its biodiversity, with 36.3 unique taxa from 40.7 records, indicating that a wide range of species are being recorded despite lower participation compared to some other countries.
On the other hand, countries like Lesotho and Tanzania show lower average records and unique taxa, with Lesotho recording only 5.5 records and 4.8 unique taxa, and Tanzania at 9.2 records and 7.8 unique taxa. These figures suggest lower engagement, possibly due to fewer participants or fewer species being documented.
Oceania: Steady Contributions with Moderate Diversity
Moving to Oceania, Australia leads with 22.6 average records per user and 16.8 unique taxa. While these numbers are lower compared to African nations like Namibia and South Africa, they still indicate a steady level of participation and a reasonably broad range of species being recorded. The smaller regions of Christmas Island and Norfolk Island show relatively balanced figures, with Christmas Island averaging 14.7 records and 14.3 unique taxa, and Norfolk Island at 20.2 records and 15.6 unique taxa. This indicates consistent contributions from participants in these areas.
New Zealand, while maintaining steady engagement, shows slightly lower biodiversity with 20.2 records and 13.7 unique taxa, hinting at either fewer participants or a more specific focus on certain species.
South America: High Engagement and Biodiversity Hotspots
In South America, Chile and Ecuador emerge as key players in the BioBlitz. Both countries see an average of 41.9 records per user, though Chile boasts a higher biodiversity with 30.1 unique taxa compared to Ecuador’s 20.3 unique taxa. This suggests that while both countries have engaged participants, Chile may have either a richer ecosystem or more comprehensive species documentation.
Peru also demonstrates strong engagement, with an average of 36.8 records and 22.5 unique taxa, reflecting a healthy contribution to biodiversity monitoring in the region. In contrast, countries like Argentina and Uruguay show lower figures. Argentina’s 10.1 records and 6.6 unique taxa suggest lower participation or possibly more limited biodiversity documentation efforts, while Uruguay's 8.8 records and 7.9 unique taxa also reflect more modest contributions.
Overall Reflections
Across all continents, the data reveals that Namibia and South Africa are not only leaders in participation but also in the diversity of species being recorded. These two African nations, along with Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Kenya, are making significant strides in documenting biodiversity.
In Oceania, Australia leads the way, though the biodiversity and participation figures are generally more moderate compared to some African countries. The smaller regions like Christmas Island and Norfolk Island contribute steadily, showcasing their unique ecosystems.
In South America, Chile stands out for its biodiversity, while Ecuador and Peru show strong participation, reinforcing their roles as important contributors to the biodiversity efforts in the Southern Hemisphere.
This data highlights the regions where biodiversity is not only rich but where participants are making valuable efforts to observe and document the natural world, contributing to a greater understanding of biodiversity in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2024 who were the most prolific observers? it it seems @reiner, Reiner Richter from Victoria, Australia made the most records this year. While @nicklambert (Nick Lambert) discovered the most unique taxon globally
Most prolific participants Globally
Username | Number of observations |
reiner | 2601 |
craigpeter | 2499 |
nicklambert | 2455 |
benackerley | 1723 |
michaelcincotta | 1660 |
tonyrebelo | 1604 |
wild_wind | 1413 |
hhodgson | 1313 |
grantforbes | 1310 |
linkie | 1281 |
Top 10 Most Diverse Observers
Username | Unique Taxon Observed |
nicklambert | 1471 |
reiner | 936 |
michaelcincotta | 879 |
benackerley | 825 |
grantforbes | 790 |
invertebratist | 779 |
linkie | 698 |
odettecurtis | 667 |
cecileroux | 613 |
adele84 | 612 |
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