More than 65 participants, including university students, environmental activists, NGO representatives, and members of Lebanon’s fishing, diving, and seabirding clubs, gathered at MUBS University in Badaro for a citizen science training workshop that introduced the BAHR Platform, Lebanon’s first citizen-based initiative for monitoring marine biodiversity.
BAHR is developed under the project: “Conducting an evidence-based national Non-State Actors Campaign for a Marine Protected Areas Network in Lebanon” 🇱🇧, implemented by the Lebanese Environment Forum (LEF) in partnership with the University of Balamand, and funded by the European Union.
The event opened with welcoming remarks by Eng. Malek Ghandour, President of the Lebanese Environment Forum (LEF), who emphasized the role of civil society in marine conservation, and Mr. Omar Marcho, founder of the Lebanese Fishing Channel, who underlined the importance of engaging coastal communities in biodiversity protection.
The training session was facilitated by Mr. Bassam Al Kantar, SPNL’s Strategic Communications and Advocacy Advisor, who introduced the platform as a pioneering tool empowering citizens to report marine species and environmental violations. Through an engaging and interactive presentation, Al Kantar demonstrated how citizen-generated observations can be transformed into evidence-based data that informs policy and supports the development of a Marine Protected Areas Network in Lebanon.
About the BAHR Platform
🌊 BAHR is Lebanon’s first citizen-based marine biodiversity monitoring platform. It invites citizens—whether fishermen, divers, birders, students, or families—to record their marine observations and threats such as plastic pollution or oil spills. Submissions can be made directly through the website https://bahr.lbeforum.org/ or via WhatsApp 📱 +961 78 767 149.
Activities Covered
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🐠 Shore Observations
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🐦 Seabirding
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🤿 Free Diving, Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
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🎣 Recreational & Commercial Fishing
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🚮 Beach Cleanups
Why BAHR Matters
Lebanon’s marine ecosystems are under growing pressure from pollution, sea filling, overfishing, and climate change. Traditional monitoring is often expensive and limited in scope, but BAHR leverages citizen science to generate broader, continuous, and community-driven monitoring. This approach empowers citizens to participate in scientific inquiry, strengthens environmental advocacy, and creates a vital bridge between society, science, and policy.
Project Framework
Through this initiative, BAHR aims to:
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Build a strong national network of citizen scientists.
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Provide evidence-based monitoring data to decision-makers.
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Advocate for the creation of a Marine Protected Areas Network across Lebanon.
Discover Lebanon’s Underwater Wonders
Already, BAHR has documented a series of extraordinary sightings, including:
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🌞 Mediterranean Sunfish near Jal El Dib
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🐋 Sperm whales off Batroun
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🦭 Monk seals returning to Dbayeh
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🐟 Rare John Dory fish spotted in Sidon
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🐬 The famous killer whale Riptide along Beirut’s coast
These reports prove that Lebanon’s seas remain vibrant—and in urgent need of protection.
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