Images uploaded to social media websites hold valuable data that could be used to help protect or manage natural spaces, a study has suggested.
Geotagged images provided a precise location of where the photo was taken and how people were interacting with the environment, it added.
This data could be collated to provide information that could help inform the management of ecosystems.
The findings were outlined at a science meeting in Lille, France, on Thursday.
The details were outlined at the joint annual meeting of the British Ecological Society and Société Française d'Ecologie by Daniel Richards from the National University of Singapore.
Speaking before his presentation, he told BBC News: "I think a lot of us have not realised the resources that are available.
"It could be that the researchers do not use social media themselves or they are not aware of its potential but I think it definitely will become more popular."