Short answer
No. You can submit sightings, use the HydroLibrary, and view the Live Data Map without an account. An optional free account (called MyHydroscape) lets you see all your own submissions in one place, earn badges, and track your personal impact.
What you can do without an account
- Submit cormorant sightings
- Submit biodiversity sightings (any species)
- Submit water quality reports
- Browse the HydroLibrary (500+ species, water quality references, habitat projects, deterrents, conservation authorities)
- View the Live Data Map — every sighting across the UK
- Log deterrent activity (HydroDeter)
- Use the AI species identifier (HydroVision AI)
In short: every core recording tool works without an account.
What MyHydroscape adds
If you create a free account, you get a personal dashboard at my-hydroscape that shows:
- A summary of your activity — total submissions, species seen, regions covered
- Badges — 20 achievements for consistent and varied recording
- A personal map of everywhere you've logged a sighting
- Biodiversity analysis — what you've recorded, broken down and visualised
- Your full gallery — every photo you've ever submitted
- Account controls — update details, request data export, delete account
You also get notifications when your sightings are verified by our AI, and email updates if we ship something major.
The short version
- Just want to record what you see? No account needed.
- Want to see your own data, track badges, feel a bit of momentum? Sign up, it's free.
Where to go next