India, Jan. 29 -- For most people, an outing to the beach or the seaside is about staring into the distance. But what most may not be aware of is the treasure trove hiding under their feet: the wealth of marine biodiversity on the shores.

To change this and involve citizens in documenting this neglected marine wealth, the Mumbai-based Coastal Conservation Foundation (CCF) and the Visakhapatnam-based East Coast Conservation Team (ECCT) have organised a 10-day India Intertidal Bioblitz, which began on January 26. A bioblitz is an event where people focus on spotting and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short time period.

Seizing the days of low tide around the new moon, the India Intertidal Bioblitz set it...