Seadragons are coastal fishes endemic to Australia’s southern waters and are icons for marine biodiversity. Due to declining kelp and seagrass habitats across Australia’s southern coast, there has been concern that current seadragon abundances may be contracting, and baseline data on populations and their distributions are needed to determine appropriate conservation measures. However, seadragon population dynamics are still poorly understood for lack of the ability to track individual animals over time and monitor populations across their range. To address these gaps, we have launched a project called SeadragonSearch that combines machine learning tools with citizen science to gather range-wide data on individual wild seadragons. We aim to run this project for a decade to provide the data needed to inform extinction risk assessments and evidence-based protections for common and leafy seadragons. To that end, sustaining the engagement of citizen scientists with the project over the long-term is critical for data collection, and investigating motivations for participation is an integral component of our research. Emerging insights from surveys, interviews, and social media interactions indicate that participant interest in the project is positively influenced by knowledge acquisition provided by the project about local seadragon populations.