HOOKLAB: Where Recreational Fishing Meets Scientific Research

Fishing has always generated knowledge. Anglers notice when species appear, where they are found, how their sizes change through the season, which habitats they use, and how conditions affect activity. Much of that knowledge, however, remains informal. It lives in memory, conversations, photographs, and personal fishing logs.

HOOKLAB was created to turn those observations into structured data.

Developed by Merman Conservation, HOOKLAB is an independent field research project in South Pelion, Greece, exploring how recreational rod-and-line fishing can contribute to better documentation of coastal fish biodiversity.

The idea is not to turn every fishing trip into a scientific survey.

It is to introduce scientific discipline into observations that are already happening.

​From a catch to a field observation.

A fish encounter contains considerably more information than simply the species caught.
Through HOOKLAB, an observation can include:

• species
• total length
• weight
• number of individuals
• fishing method
• bait or lure
• habitat
• depth
• location
• release status
• field notes
• environmental conditions

Together, these fields create a much richer record of what was observed, where it occurred, and under what circumstances.

HOOKLAB can also attach environmental context such as weather, wave conditions and sea-surface information to an observation. These values are treated transparently as contextual or modelled information rather than measurements taken directly at the fishing location.

Where amateur fishing meets scientific integrity

Citizen science becomes valuable when participation is combined with good methodology.

HOOKLAB therefore focuses on structured recording, transparency and responsible interpretation.

An observation is not considered scientifically valuable simply because it has been entered into an app. Its usefulness depends on the quality of the identification, measurements, location information, supporting context and subsequent review.

This distinction is important.

HOOKLAB is designed to preserve observations in a form that can be examined, compared and curated rather than treating anecdotal information as scientific evidence automatically.

That means embracing both the possibilities and the limitations of recreational fishing data.

A digital field tool for anglers

HOOKLAB is designed to work where observations actually happen: on the coast.

The application combines a fish species guide, nearby verifiable community observations from iNaturalist, local environmental information, fisheries reference information, and a structured observation form. Records are stored locally on the user's device and can be exported in CSV or PDF format.

The project also includes practical field features such as offline species information and reminders relating to sensitive or closed periods. Fisheries information is advisory, and anglers remain responsible for checking current official Greek and European regulations.

The objective is to make careful documentation practical rather than burdensome.

Why recreational fishing data matters

Scientific monitoring cannot be everywhere at once.

Researchers typically work within defined surveys, sampling periods and budgets.

Recreational anglers, meanwhile, repeatedly interact with marine environments across different seasons, weather conditions and coastal locations.

That does not make recreational fishing a replacement for formal scientific surveys.

It does create an opportunity.

When observations are collected consistently and interpreted carefully, they may help reveal patterns worth investigating: changes in species occurrence, size distributions, seasonality, habitat associations or unusual records.

HOOKLAB explores how that observational potential can be captured responsibly.

Building a better relationship between fishing and conservation

Fishing and marine conservation are sometimes presented as opposing interests.

HOOKLAB starts from a different position.

An angler can also be an observer.
A fishing trip can also generate biodiversity information.
A released fish can still contribute a valuable record.
And people who spend substantial time beside the sea can become active participants in understanding the ecosystems they use.

The project therefore aims to encourage a culture of observation, measurement, documentation and responsible interaction with marine wildlife.

Data with purpose

HOOKLAB observations are curated by the project and may, where appropriate, contribute to scientific research and conservation work.

The long-term value lies not in accumulating the largest possible number of records, but in building a dataset whose origins, context and limitations are understood.

That is the principle behind HOOKLAB:
fish carefully, observe closely, record consistently and make the information useful.

HOOKLAB is a Merman Conservation field research project currently focused on Katigiorgis, Mourtias and the wider South Pelion coastline.
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Explore the project:
https://hooklab.mermanconservation.co.uk/