Terms of Use

Last Updated: May 2, 2026 (13:07 Pacific Time)
Effective Date: May 3, 2026 (00:00 Pacific Time)

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: THESE TERMS OF USE INCLUDE IMPORTANT PROVISIONS LIMITING THE LIABILITY OF REEF ADVOCATES AND RELATED PARTIES, INCLUDING FOR CLAIMS ARISING FROM ACTS OF NEGLIGENCE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Reef Advocates (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a nonprofit corporation based in the United States of America (“U.S.”) working to support ecological conservation, scientific research, and education (collectively, our “Mission Purposes”). These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, mobile applications, communications, API, content, data, and related services or products (collectively, the “Services”).

In these Terms, “you,” “your,” or “user” refers to any person who uses the Services, and using the Services includes accessing the Services. By using the Services, you agree to be legally bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Services.

By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have reviewed our Privacy Policy (available at https://reefadvocates.org/privacy), which explains our privacy and data practices. Additional terms or policies may apply where presented within the Services.

1. Definitions.

For purposes of these Terms, the following definitions apply.

“Send” (and related verb or adjective forms) means to transmit or submit.

“Supply” (and related verb forms) means to capture, generate, Send, or otherwise provide, in each case through the Services.

“Contributed Data” means observations, recordings, and related information that you capture, generate, or otherwise provide, and that are Sent to us for possible inclusion in datasets or other information resources supporting our Mission Purposes and other uses permitted under these Terms.

Contributed Data may include, for example, photographs, videos, audio recordings, geographic location information, device or sensor data, user-entered information, and related metadata such as timestamps or camera settings, as well as data derived or generated locally on your device from any of these. Contributed Data does not include any data or materials derived, generated, or processed by us after having been Sent to us.

“User-Retained Media” means photographs, videos, or other media captured using the Services that you retain, within the Services or otherwise, for your own use. Some User-Retained Media may also be Sent to us and included in Contributed Data.

“Datasets” means collections or compilations of Contributed Data, alone or combined with other data sources, that we organize, curate, analyze, or make available to third parties or the public.

“Contributor License” means the Reef Advocates Contributor License (available at https://reefadvocates.org/contributor-license) governing the rights granted to us for Contributed Data, as updated from time to time.

Multiple versions of the Contributor License may exist. The Data Contributions section of these Terms describes which version applies to particular Contributed Data.

“User Content” means any content or information you Supply, including content or information captured or generated through the Services as a result of features you choose to use or enable. User Content includes information automatically captured or generated by the Services when you use features designed to capture or record information. User Content may include, without limitation, User-Retained Media, user-entered data, and communications. Some User Content may become Contributed Data.

“Reef Advocates Parties” means Reef Advocates and its affiliates, officers, directors, agents, representatives, and employees.

2. Limitation of Liability.

Exclusion of Certain Damages. The Reef Advocates Parties will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenues, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses arising from or related to your access to or use of the Services or the Service Materials. This limitation of liability applies regardless of the legal theory asserted and whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Liability for Activities; General Limitation. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Reef Advocates Parties will not be liable for losses arising from or related to your use of the Services or activities undertaken in connection with your use of the Services, except to the extent such liability cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

Additional Limitation Where Permitted. To the extent permitted under applicable law, you agree for yourself and for your heirs, relatives, representatives, estate, agents, and assigns, that you will not hold liable the Reef Advocates Parties and that you will waive and release any claims, demands, or actions against them, for any damages to, or loss of, your property, or for your injury or death, which results from or arises in connection with the use of the Services, including as a result of negligence by the Reef Advocates Parties other than that which results from gross negligence, wanton or willful misconduct, reckless or intentional conduct, or other conduct for which liability cannot be excluded under applicable law.

Liability Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the total liability of the Reef Advocates Parties for any claim arising out of or relating to the Services or the Service Materials will not exceed the greater of:

the amount you paid to Reef Advocates for use of the Services or the Service Materials during the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or
fifty U.S. dollars (US $50).

Applicability. Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law. The limitations and exclusions in this Section apply to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

3. Indemnification.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Reef Advocates Parties from and against any claims, demands, damages, liabilities, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or related to your use of the Services or the Service Materials, any User Content or Contributed Data you Supply, violation of these Terms or applicable law, infringement or misappropriation of the rights of any person or entity, or any activities associated with your use of the Services, including diving or other water-related activities.

We reserve the right, at our own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you. You agree to cooperate with our defense of such claims and may not settle any such matter without our prior written consent.

4. Eligibility to Use the Services.

The Services are intended for individuals who are at least 18 years old. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 years old. Individuals under 18 years old may access publicly available information but may not create accounts or submit data through the Services.

5. User Accounts.

An account may be required to use certain features of the Services. If you create an account, you agree to provide complete and accurate information, maintain the security of your account credentials, and update account information as needed. You may not misrepresent your personal information or use misleading identifiers, including as part of a username. Except as permitted in the Shared Access section, you are responsible for all activity under your account and may not allow others to use it.

Information or data submitted while using the Services without a registered account may later be associated with a registered account if a user chooses to link prior activity.

6. Shared Access.

The Services may be used on devices shared by multiple individuals (“Shared Devices”). If you use the Services through a Shared Device, you are responsible for your use of the Services and compliance with these Terms. Your activity may be linked to you.

You understand and agree that information generated on a Shared Device may remain accessible on that device or synced devices, may be visible to those devices’ owners, administrators, or subsequent users, and may be associated with accounts (including accounts with third-party services) used on that device.

We may not verify the identity of Shared Device users and are not responsible for determining who used the Services. The individual or organization responsible for administering a Shared Device is responsible for controlling and monitoring device access and use.

7. User Content.

You represent and warrant that each time you Supply User Content:

you have all rights, permissions, and authority (including ownership where required) necessary to Supply the User Content and to grant any rights described in these Terms and, for Contributed Data, the Contributor License; and
doing so does not violate any agreement you have with another person or organization.

Prohibited Content

You may not use the Services to Supply User Content that:

violates applicable law;
infringes or misappropriates the rights of others, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights;
is false, misleading, defamatory, harassing, abusive, or threatening;
promotes harm or discrimination;
contains malware or other material that is capable of interfering with the Services or other systems;
constitutes spam or unsolicited promotion or is unrelated to the purpose of the Services;
is generated through automated means outside the Services without our permission;
otherwise interferes with the integrity, reputation, safety, or lawful operation or status of the Services, any of the Reef Advocates Parties, our collaborators or partners, or our programs.

You are solely responsible for the User Content you Supply and for any harms, damages, or legal claims arising from that User Content.

Content Moderation and Review

We may monitor, review, moderate, remove, restrict, or decline to publish any User Content, but we are not obligated to do so unless required by law. Such actions may be performed by automated systems or by human reviewers at any time, with or without notice, if we determine that User Content violates these Terms, is objectionable, or may create legal, operational, or reputational risk for the Services or any of the Reef Advocates Parties or our collaborators or partners.

Some User Content, including User-Retained Media or information that remains local to your device, may not be submitted through the Services and therefore may not be monitored in the same manner as submitted User Content, if at all. However, you remain responsible for ensuring that such User Content does not violate these Terms.

8. Data Contributions.

The following information constitutes Contributed Data when Sent to us:

information automatically captured or generated by the Services while you use data capture modes (for example, Dive Mode);
geographic location information associated with the use of data capture modes, including location data recorded before or after the use of such modes that is used to associate other Contributed Data with location information;
configuration settings, parameters, and events related to data capture modes;
information you enter where the interface of the Services indicates that the field or entry may be included in Datasets or other information resources;
information that you voluntarily Send to us that you indicate may be included in datasets or other information resources or that directly relates to other Contributed Data you have Supplied;
data derived on your device from any of the foregoing; and
metadata associated with any of the foregoing.

We may own some materials generated by the Services that constitute Contributed Data, such as data processing artifacts created on your device and Sent to us. As a result, you may not hold rights in all Contributed Data. Nothing in these Terms limits our ownership of such materials.

Licensing of Contributed Data

By Sending Contributed Data to us, you grant us the rights described in the Contributor License with respect to such Contributed Data, to the extent you hold such rights. The Contributor License (available at https://reefadvocates.org/contributor-license) governs how we may process, analyze, modify, combine with other data, distribute, sublicense, or otherwise use Contributed Data.

The version of the Contributor License that applies to Contributed Data is determined as of the time it is Sent to us, and will be:

the version identified by the Services as applicable to that Contributed Data;
if no version is identified under (a), the most recent version you agreed would govern Contributed Data that is Sent through the same mobile or web application on the device or browser used for that submission or transmission;
if no version applies under (a) or (b), any version expressly agreed in writing by you and us at or before the time the Contributed Data is Sent; or
if none of the foregoing apply, the version most recently published by us.

Different versions of the Contributor License may apply to portions of Contributed Data within any single Dataset.

Data Standards for Scientific Integrity

If you Send Contributed Data to us, you agree to provide information that is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

You may not intentionally:

falsify observations or environmental information;
misrepresent locations, species, timestamps, environmental conditions, or other observational data;
manipulate imagery or other data in a way that misrepresents the underlying observation; or
Send Contributed Data obtained through unsafe, unethical, unlawful, or prohibited activities.

We may review, annotate, correct, restrict, or remove Contributed Data that does not meet these standards.

No Obligation to Use

Sending Contributed Data to us does not obligate us to include that information in any Dataset or similar resource. We may decline to use, publish, or distribute Contributed Data at our discretion.

Retention of Contributed Data

You agree that we may retain and use Contributed Data even if you later delete your account or request deletion of associated personal information. In such cases, Contributed Data may be retained in de-identified form or, where necessary, in identifiable form for legal, security, or operational purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy.

9. Intellectual Property.

The Services, including their design, software, source code, databases, interfaces, visual elements, trademarks, logos, documentation, and other content made available by us, are owned by Reef Advocates or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property and other applicable laws.

Additionally, we may create Datasets, analyses, models, maps, visualizations, or other derivative works based on Contributed Data or other information sources. Except as otherwise provided in the Contributor License, these materials are owned by Reef Advocates or our licensors.

Except as expressly permitted in these Terms, by law, by licenses under which we may make information available, or by other agreements you have with us, you may not:

copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, publicly display, or create derivative works from the Services or any portion of the Services;
reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to extract source code from the Services;
use the Services to develop or support a competing product or service; or
remove, obscure, or alter copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices.

We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you.

Trademarks

Names, logos, product or program names, slogans, and other identifiers used in connection with the Services may be trademarks or service marks of Reef Advocates or of third parties. Except as permitted by law, you may not use any such marks without permission from the applicable owner.

Ownership of User Content

Except as otherwise provided in these Terms or the Contributor License, we do not claim ownership of User Content that is made available to you through the Services. However, you grant us the rights necessary to operate the Services and to process User Content in accordance with our Privacy Policy, these Terms, and any other applicable agreements.

Copyright Policy

If you believe that material available through the Services infringes your copyright, you may submit a notification of claimed infringement (an “Infringement Notice”) to our designated copyright agent requesting removal of the material. Infringement Notices should comply with the requirements of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), specifically 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3).

Our designated copyright agent may be contacted at:

Kiefer Aguilar
2660 NE Hwy 20
Suite 610, #403
Bend, OR 97701
United States
+1 (541) 668-6152
legal@reefadvocates.org

Upon receipt of an Infringement Notice, we may remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material and take other actions consistent with applicable law.

If material you supplied is removed or disabled in response to an Infringement Notice, you may submit a counter notification in accordance with the requirements of the DMCA, specifically 17 U.S.C. §512(g). We may restore the material as permitted by applicable law.

We track Infringement Notices and may suspend or terminate accounts of, or take steps to prevent use of the Services by, users who repeatedly infringe copyrights.

10. Data Transfers and Service Charges.

You acknowledge and agree that:

large amounts of data, including User Content and Contributed Data, may be transmitted over the Internet in connection with your use of the Services;
data transmission may occur automatically, may be deferred or delayed after data is created or generated (including during subsequent use of the Services), and may occur while our applications are running in the background;
use of certain features, including account verification or security features, may result in text messages or other communications delivered to your device;
all fees and charges for Internet access, data transmission, messaging (including SMS or MMS), and related services (collectively, “Service Charges”) are solely your responsibility;
any controls we may offer to limit or manage data transmission are provided “as-is” as a supplemental safeguard to controls available through your device operating system; and
we are not responsible for Service Charges, even in the event of the unavailability, failure, or inadequacy of any usage controls.

11. Machine Learning and AI Model Training.

Unless we authorize in writing, you may not use data or information obtained from the Services to train machine learning or artificial intelligence models. This restriction does not apply to non-commercial scientific research conducted by researchers affiliated with accredited institutions of higher education, government agencies, or nonprofit conservation or research organizations where the research is principally intended for scholarly publication, academic study, or support of conservation practice.

12. Automated Use.

You may not use the Services through automated means in a manner that interferes with, degrades, disrupts, or unreasonably loads the Services or related systems. This restriction applies to scraping, harvesting, crawling, automated data querying, or other automated use that submits or extracts data or interacts with the Services. Additionally, your use of interfaces that we expressly make available for automated use is subject to the rate limits or usage limits we may publish for them. You may not use any automated means to create accounts within the Services. We may implement technical or operational measures to prevent automated use that violates these Terms.

13. Legal Compliance and Regulated Areas.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Services and any activities associated with collecting or Supplying information through the Services comply with all applicable laws, regulations, site rules, and permit requirements.

You may not use the Services to Supply information obtained in violation of applicable law or restrictions governing access to or activities within or near locations, environmental features, cultural resources, infrastructure, or other areas that are sensitive, protected, or otherwise regulated (collectively, “Regulated Areas”), including those with restrictions on recording, mapping, publication of information, or other activities. We do not represent that the Services identify, warn you about, or prevent your use of the Services within or near Regulated Areas. You are responsible for determining whether your activities are permitted in any location where you use the Services.

You may not use the Services in violation of applicable export control, trade sanctions, or similar laws or regulations of the U.S. or other applicable jurisdictions.

14. Safety and Activity Disclaimer.

Use of the Services may occur in connection with physical activities, such as diving, snorkeling, boating, or other field activities, which involve inherent risks, including injury, equipment failure, environmental hazards, and death.

The Services are not safety, navigation, or emergency systems and do not provide dive planning, hazard warnings, supervision, real-time safety monitoring, or emergency communications. You are responsible for your own safety and for complying with all applicable safety procedures, training standards, and instructions provided by dive operators, instructors, site managers, vessel operators, or other responsible authorities (each an “Authority”).

By using the Services, you represent that you are physically and mentally capable of participating in any activity in which you use the Services, hold all certifications required for such activities, meet all qualifications and requirements recommended by organizations that issued such certifications, and will not exceed the limits of your training, certification, abilities, or experience. Responsibility for planning, procedures, safety practices, and equipment operation and redundancy rests with you or the applicable Authorities, not Reef Advocates.

By using the Services, you acknowledge that you voluntarily use the Services in connection with activities that involve inherent risks, including risks of injury or death, and that you knowingly and freely assume responsibility for those risks to the extent permitted by applicable law. You further acknowledge that you are responsible for deciding whether to use the Services and whether you can do so safely.

You must prioritize safety over use of the Services and discontinue use where necessary. Use of the Services, particularly data capture modes, may increase device battery consumption and heat generation. You are responsible for monitoring your device’s condition and ensuring its use is appropriate for your environment and activity.

15. Damage to User Devices or Equipment.

We are not responsible for damage to or loss of any device, camera, housing, sensor, storage media, or other equipment used in connection with the Services, including damage resulting from environmental conditions, water exposure, equipment failure, or user operation. The availability or design of the Services, including any features intended for use in underwater or field environments, does not represent or imply that any device is suitable for use in such environments or that it may be safely exposed to water or other environmental conditions without appropriate protective equipment. Users are solely responsible for determining whether their devices and equipment are suitable for the environments in which they are used and for using appropriate protective housings or other safeguards.

16. Independent Operators and Third Parties.

Third parties, including dive operators, instructors, and tour providers, operate independently and are not our agents or representatives. We do not direct or control their activities. Any services or equipment they provide are their responsibility, and any agreements with them are between you and the third party.

The presence or use of our equipment or Services does not create responsibility for us to supervise or manage any activity or to maintain or ensure the safety of our equipment or Services for that activity.

We are not responsible for the conduct, safety practices, equipment, services, or actions of third parties, even if those parties participate in programs associated with the Services or use the Services in connection with their operations.

17. Third-Party Services and Resources.

The Services may interact with, integrate with, or provide access to services, software, websites, data sources, or other resources provided by third parties (“Third-Party Services”). We do not control and are not responsible for the availability, content, accuracy, policies, or practices of Third-Party Services. Your use of Third-Party Services may be subject to separate terms, conditions, or policies provided by the third party. We are not responsible for any loss, damage, or other consequences arising from your access to or use of Third-Party Services.

18. Disclaimer of Warranties.

The Services and all content, data, software, analyses, models, maps, visualizations, datasets, and other materials (collectively, the “Service Materials”) made available through the Services are provided “as is” and “as available.”

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Reef Advocates Parties and our licensors disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, completeness, reliability, or uninterrupted operation.

We do not warrant that the Services will operate without interruption, errors, or delays, or that the Service Materials will be accurate, complete, or suitable for any particular purpose. The Service Materials should not be relied upon without independent verification appropriate to the intended use. Nothing in the Services or Service Materials constitutes professional, scientific, environmental, medical, or safety advice.

19. Suspension and Termination.

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to or use of the Services, or suspend or discontinue the Services or any portion of the Services, at any time and for any reason, subject to applicable law.

Suspension or termination of an account or other privileges does not terminate these Terms. These Terms, as updated from time to time, continue to govern all use of the Services, including any subsequent use. Suspension or termination does not affect any rights or obligations that arose before it, including without limitation those relating to Contributed Data and the Contributor License, intellectual property, disclaimers of warranties, limitations of liability, and indemnification.

20. Review of Decisions.

We may, but are not obligated to, review decisions to remove or restrict User Content or to suspend or terminate access to the Services. You may submit a request for review by emailing us at: support@reefadvocates.org

21. Changes to the Terms.

We may modify these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will publish the updated Terms through the Services and update the Last Updated date shown above. By continuing to use the Services after updated Terms become effective, you agree to the revised Terms. If you do not agree to updated Terms, you must stop using the Services.

22. Communications and Electronic Notices.

By using the Services, you consent to receive communications from us electronically, including through the Services, by email, or by other electronic means.

We may provide notices, disclosures, or other communications related to the Services or these Terms electronically. Such communications may include information about your account, updates to the Services or these Terms, and other administrative or operational messages.

You agree that electronic communications from us satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. You are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information associated with your account and for reviewing communications we transmit through the Services or by email.

23. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to the Services or these Terms will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon, U.S., without regard to its conflict-of-laws principle and regardless of where the Services are accessed or used.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Services or these Terms must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of Oregon, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from seeking relief in a small claims court of competent jurisdiction for disputes that qualify for such proceedings.

24. General Provisions.

Force Majeure. We will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform any obligation under these Terms to the extent such delay or failure results from events beyond our reasonable control, including failures of Internet services, telecommunications, third-party infrastructure, or service providers.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of that provision or of the right to enforce it later.

Successors and Assigns. These Terms are binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer these Terms, including in connection with a reorganization, merger, or transfer of assets.

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with any policies, licenses, or other agreements referenced in these Terms or made available through the Services, constitute the entire agreement between you and Reef Advocates regarding the Services and supersede any prior or contemporaneous understandings.

Headings. Section and subsection headings in these Terms are provided for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Terms.