Facebook photos, beach selfies, and scientific discovery
What looks like a vibrant coastal postcard may be hiding a ecological alarm. Scientists have turned everyday Instagram selfies and beach shots into a powerful data stream, revealing how Carpobrotus, commonly called ice plants or sour fig, is flowering longer and spreading into new environments across multiple continents. By harnessing more than 1,700 publicly shared photos from social media and citizen science platforms, researchers have mapped flowering patterns and linked them to the plant’s invasive success in regions as varied as South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.
Carpobrotus: a hardy coastal invader
Carpobrotus species are fleshy evergreen succulents native to South Africa. In their native range they flourish, but when transplanted or dispersed by human activity, they outcompete native species, transform soil chemistry, and monopolize pollinators with their showy, sun-loving flowers. A single plant can cover up to 50 square meters, effectively choking out anything growing beneath it. In invaded regions, these plants alter the local ecosystem balance, changing habitat structure and reducing biodiversity.
What the social media signal reveals about flowering timing
The researchers report that Carpobrotus populations flower for a longer period in invaded environments than in their native South Africa, likely increasing seed production and the chance of further spread. Native populations typically exhibit a concentrated flowering peak, but in new homes they bloom across extended timescales. This extended flowering window offers a reproductive advantage and may help explain the plant’s capacity to colonize new coastlines and disrupt established communities.
Interestingly, the study found that local environmental conditions trump genetic differences when it comes to flowering timing. Invasion-driven cues—such as local climate and seasonal spring windows—shape when the plants bloom. For example, flowering may align with October in New Zealand or with May–June in California and parts of Europe. This plasticity makes Carpobrotus a moving target for coastal managers who aim to limit spread and protect native biodiversity.
From beach photos to practical management
The findings offer actionable guidance for coastal management teams. If managers know the peak flowering times in a given invaded region, they can schedule removal efforts to target plants before seed production explodes, reducing the likelihood of subsequent invasions. The study underscores a practical, data-driven approach: combine citizen science with social media monitoring to identify vulnerable windows of opportunity for intervention, even in remote areas where traditional surveys are challenging.
Global collaboration and the power of digital data
Careful collaboration across continents made this work possible. The project drew on the expertise of researchers at the University of Galway (Ireland), the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (Spain), Charles University (Czech Republic), Macquarie University (Australia), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), and Penn State University. Dr. Susan Canavan, the study’s lead author, highlighted the surprising wealth of information embedded in everyday imagery. “Thousands of people were unknowingly documenting these invasions in the background of their beach selfies and cliff-top sunset photos,” she said. “This gave us observers across the globe, from California’s Big Sur to New Zealand’s coastlines to Portugal’s tourist beaches.”
The researchers also acknowledge biases inherent in social media data. Touristic hotspots produced a disproportionate number of usable images, while distant, less-populated areas relied on dedicated naturalist platforms like iNaturalist. Still, the study demonstrates how the digital age is transforming ecological research. Vacation photos and nature observations are becoming a concrete resource for tracking biological invasions and supporting conservation planning.
Words from the researchers
Co-author Dr. Ana Novoa notes the practical side of the discovery: “These plants are notoriously difficult to control because they spread both by seed and by fragments. Even a small piece can regrow into a new colony. Knowing exactly when they flower in each region means we can strike when they’re most vulnerable, before they produce thousands of seeds that ensure future invasions.” The research opens a window for targeted interventions timed to local phenology, increasing the odds of protecting vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
