“Every photo we take today could be the last time this species is ever photographed in these waters.” When Spark first learned to dive, he would press the shutter one or two hundred times on every trip. In the end, he would select only one or two of the most beautiful shots to edit and share. That changed when a biologist looked through his hard drive and pointed out that one seemingly unremarkable image might be an extremely rare record of a living marine species in its natural habitat. At that moment, Spark realized that a photo considered ordinary by a diver could hold an entirely different kind of value for a researcher. This experience inspired BlueTrend to establish a marine life database, inviting divers to upload their photos along with information about when and where they were taken. In doing so, images scattered across personal hard drives can become valuable research material. A single record may not reveal much on its own, but as data accumulates over time, it can help us observe changes in species distribution and marine environments. Working with researchers, BlueTrend has also turned the needs of species identification into training courses. Divers learn how to photograph the key characteristics of marine life, giving recreational diving an added sense of purpose: documenting the ocean. However, maintaining the database, hiring professional staff, and having experts verify each record all come at a cost. Spark hopes to find a sustainable business model that will carry BlueTrend into its next decade—and allow it to continue preserving records of our oceans. Airs Saturday, August 22, at 10:00 a.m. Dive beneath the waves with Spark and discover the scientific value and ocean stories hidden behind a single underwater photograph! ✒︎ Guest｜Spark, Founder of BlueTrend ✒︎ Learn more about BlueTrend: [https://bluetrend.media/](https://bluetrend.media/) ✒︎ Key takeaways: 🎙️ How an overlooked photograph could preserve a rare record 🎙️ What researchers need from underwater photos—and how that differs from a beautiful diving shot 🎙️ How gamified missions encourage divers to keep submitting observations 🎙️ Why citizen science data from different marine areas cannot always be compared directly 🎙️ AI can help organize data, but the business model determines whether a project survives ▞▞▄▄ Listen to *Knock Knock, Tech Community* Online ▄▄▞▞ Taipei Broadcasting Station｜https://tradio.gov.taipei/channel/OTky Major streaming platforms｜https://open.firstory.me/user/knockknock-radio/platforms #KnockKnockTechCommunity #BlueTrend #CitizenScience #MarineConservation #MarineLifeDatabase