Editing Snorkeling (section)

=== Underwater photography ===
[[File:Snorkeling - GOPR7035.jpg|thumb|Children snorkeling in [[Taiwan]]]]
[[Underwater photography]] has grown in popularity since the early 2000s as waterproof cameras became affordable to recreational users. Many snorkelers now carry a waterproof camera with them while they snorkel and may record photographs or video clips and later share them on social media platforms or post them to other websites. 

This mass of documentation has enormous scientific potential, as millions of tourists are able to cover greater areas than professional scientists whose field-study time is limited. Various [[citizen science]] programs have emerged to realize this potential. Thus underwater photographs of natural subjects become database records of geo-located and time-stamped species observations. The observed species may be identified by the contributor or by other website users or team members, depending on the platform. Various protocols for organization and self-directed study for snorkelers interested in natural science also exist. At [[Réunion island]], these approaches have resulted in many new records and even the discovery of new species.<ref name="CBM2018" />

Many underwater photographs taken by snorkelers can be seen and used by scientists via the website [[iNaturalist.org]]. There, website users identify and verify the subjects of the photographs. This creates valuable data for the use of professional scientists and environmental managers around the world.