Citizen-Science for the Future: Advisory Case Studies From Around the Globe

Abstract

The democratization of ocean observation has the potential to add millions of observations every day. Though not a solution for all ocean monitoring needs, citizen scientists offer compelling examples showcasing their ability to augment and enhance traditional research and monitoring. Information they are providing is increasing the spatial and temporal frequency and duration of sampling, reducing time and labor costs for academic and government monitoring programs, providing hands-on STEM learning related to real-world issues and increasing public awareness and support for the scientific process. Examples provided here demonstrate the wide range of people who are already dramatically reducing gaps in our global observing network while at the same time providing unique opportunities to meaningfully engage in ocean observing and the research and conservation it supports. While there are still challenges to overcome before widespread inclusion in projects requiring scientific rigor, the growing organization of international citizen science associations is helping to reduce barriers. The case studies described support the idea that citizen scientists should be part of an effective global strategy for a sustained, multidisciplinary and integrated observing system.

Using a Citizen Science Approach with German Horse Owners to Study the Locomotion Behaviour of Horses on Pasture

“…As a result, a growing number of studies successfully enlist the public around the globe to provide data to be used across a wide range of scientific disciplines [7,8]. Cost-and labour-efficient citizen science projects can provide datasets impossible to sample with traditional research methodology [2,8,9]. In addition, they increase understanding of ecological challenges [1,2] and can potentially improve stakeholder decisions [6,10,11].…”

A Portable Cruising Speed Net: Expanding Global Collection of Sea Surface Plankton Data

“…Most vessels follow longestablished routes dictated by predominant weather and trade winds (Cornell, 2014), providing a unique chance for dense spatiotemporal sampling of plankton. However, this concept is not new, and many studies have already exploited its potential (Lauro et al, 2014;Duarte, 2015;Simoniello et al, 2019). Most significant is the Ship of Opportunity Program run by the World Maritime Organization, which has deployed Continuous Plankton Recorders from large commercial vessels for more than 60 years; however, this collection technique is limited to a narrow range of plankton which are susceptible to capture, preservation and visual taxonomic identification in the towed recorders (Reid et al, 2010).…”

Citizen Science and the Neoliberal Transformation of Science – an Ambivalent Relationship

“…Mirowski (2017) states that "it's not a coincidence that citizen science lowers the cost of research that requires lots of routinised labour." And in fact, cost-effectiveness is one key argument used to support citizen science (e.g., Birkin and Goulson 2015;Simoniello et al 2019).…”