Alabama’s ‘Marble Bowl’ combines Iron Bowl rivalry with citizen science
The second annual Marble Bowl gives Auburn and Alabama fans another fun way to stoke the rivalry, while helping gather data about the state's biodiversity. (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)
Grab your smart phones and buckle your chin straps. The second annual Marble Bowl is under way.
A citizen science, “bio-blitz” competition, the Marble Bowl takes the popular Iron Bowl football rivalry to another unique venue: the natural world in Alabama.
It’s an opportunity for fans of Auburn University and the University of Alabama to not only help their favorite team claim bragging rights, but to support ongoing research about the state’s extraordinary array of native plants and animals.
“Alabama is blessed with incredible biodiversity … among the highest in the nation,” said Wesley Anderson, a forestry, wildlife and natural resources specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the mastermind behind the Marble Bowl.
There are more species of crayfish, freshwater fishes, mussels, freshwater snails and turtles within Alabama’s borders than anywhere else in the country. The state’s tree diversity is also spectacular, leading some experts to dub Alabama America’s Amazon.
On the flip side, Alabama has a large number of endangered species and has recorded a high rate of species extinctions.
“With these facts in mind, the increased need for documenting biodiversity around the state becomes clear,” Anderson said.
What is the Marble Bowl?
The name of the competition comes from Alabama’s state rock – marble. In the inaugural 2022 Marble Bowl, 361 “citizen scientists” used the free iNaturalist app on their smart phones, or signed on to the website, to record more than 35,500 unique observations and 4,927 unique species in the state.
Whether it’s a common native plant or an invasive species, every finding submitted to the Marble Bowl is helping experts create their own “biodiversity playing field” for research. Documenting these species helps wildlife professionals identify areas of need.
“Our world is changing rapidly, and we need to develop a baseline of what biodiversity in our state looks like now, so down the road we can assess how it differs and what we should do about it,” Anderson said. “This means observations made around where you live, work and play have value, too.”
The Marble Bowl is a collaboration among the Extension System, Alabama Museum of Natural History, Auburn University Museum of Natural History and Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment. The competition continues through Iron Bowl weekend.
For rules and guidelines, visit the Marble Bowl web page on the Alabama Extension website, www.aces.edu.
A version of this story originally appeared on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System website.
