Privacy Policy for Coral Spawning Tracker
Effective Date: April 8, 2026
1. Introduction This Privacy Policy outlines how REEF Scuba ("we", "us", or "our") handles information in relation to the Coral Spawning Tracker mobile application (the "App"). Our mission is to provide marine scientists, reef restoration advocates, and the diving community with a democratized, user-friendly tool to predict and plan for coral spawning events.
2. Data Collection in Version 1.0 In its current version (v1.0), the Coral Spawning Tracker operates entirely as a reference and visualization tool.
No Account Required: We do not require you to create an account, log in, or provide any personal identifiers to use the App.
No Background Tracking or Analytics: The App does not collect analytics, harvest usage data, or track your movements in the background.
No Server Transmission: Any data the App accesses (such as your current location) is processed locally on your device. We do not transmit, collect, or store your personal data on our servers.
3. Device Permissions To function fully, the App requests specific device permissions strictly for local use:
Location Access: The App may request access to your device's location (foreground location). This is used solely to center the interactive heatmap on your current physical location and to calculate the radius for localized spawning searches. Your location data is processed locally on your device and is never sent to our servers or shared with third parties.
Storage/File Access: The App requires permission to write files to your device's local storage. This is solely to enable the creation and saving of customized PDF Dive Plans and raw CSV data exports generated by your searches. We do not access or read your personal files or photos.
4. Data Sources and Citations Version 1.0 utilizes the open-source Indo-Pacific Coral Spawning Database. As we expand in future updates, we will integrate additional scientific papers and databases. Future versions will clearly denote the source of all information, allowing users to filter data based on origin and methodology.
5. Future Capabilities and User Submissions The Coral Spawning Tracker is an evolving effort. Future versions of the App will aim to minimize the timeline and effort required to get field information into a central database. When we introduce features allowing users to input and submit their own localized spawning data, this Privacy Policy will be updated to detail exactly how that crowdsourced information is collected, vetted, and openly shared with the community to support quality research and restoration efforts.
6. Children’s Privacy While the App is an educational and scientific tool suitable for all ages, it is primarily designed for adult researchers and restoration practitioners. Because we do not collect any personal data, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
7. Changes to This Privacy Policy We may update this Privacy Policy as we release new versions of the App and introduce new features. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated Effective Date.
8. Contact, Collaboration, and Data Contributions We are eager to partner with the global marine community to continue building this into a highly useful tool for field decisions today. If you have thoughts you would like to share, possess spawning data you wish to contribute, or if you would like to collaborate on the development of the next version, please reach out to us at: Email: info@reef-scuba.org