What's the best way to celebrate the spookiest time of year? By doing some citizen science! In the spirit of the season, we’re highlighting five projects on SciStarter that impart science with a healthy dose of frights and scares.
But be bold, because your participation also brings critical new data to light and helps advance science everywhere. There’s nothing scary about that!
Read if you dare,
The SciStarter Team
The ZomBee apocalypse is upon us!
Researchers suspect the parasitic fly Apocephalus borealis is responsible for infecting, and zombifying, honeybees.The flies lay eggs inside the bodies of honeybees, which grow and hatch, sucking nutrients from their bee hosts. Eventually, newborn fly larvae crawl out of the honeybee’s body and grow into adult flies, beginning the cycle again.
Do you see sick or dead ZomBees near you? Contribute your sightings to ZomBee Watch!
Location: Global
Is that a ghoul I hear in the closet?
Perhaps, but it’s more likely one of the many creatures we share our homes with (whether we like it or not).There are plenty of scary, and fascinating, insects to find inside. Help document the wild indoors for researchers with Never Home Alone.
Location: Global
There are ghosts haunting the coasts of the world.
Ghost forests are what remains when rising seas wash over coastal trees, leaving them bleached and skeletal. This spooky phenomenon is an indicator of sea level rise and subsidence, and your observations can help track it.
Location: U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast
Is there something outside your window?
Scientists want to know about the diversity in your backyard. Explore and photograph the wildlife, flora and fauna around you — both the scary and non-scary kind. For extra credit identify species by common name, local name and scientific name. Use this citizen science project to connect to others around the globe!
Location: Global
Beware!
Roadkill may be gruesome, but it’s also a tragic testament to our impact on the environment. Report roadkill near you to document areas where roads and vehicles are having an outsize impact on animal populations.
Location: Global
