Redmap Australia: Challenges and successes with a large-scale citizen science-based approach to ecological monitoring and community engagement on climate change

Gretta T Pecl; Jemina Stuart-Smith; Peter Walsh; Dianne J Bray; Martha Kusetic; Michael Burgess; Stewart D Frusher; Daniel C Gledhill; Oliver George; Gary Jackson; John Keane; Victoria Y Martin; Melissa Nursey-Bray; Andrew Pender; Lucy M Robinson; Keith Rowling; Marcus Sheaves; Natalie Moltschaniwskyj

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00349

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Redmap Australia: Challenges and successes with a large-scale citizen science-based approach to ecological monitoring and community engagement on climate change

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Redmap Australia: Challenges and successes with a large-scale citizen science-based approach to ecological monitoring and community engagement on climate change

Gretta T Pecl, Jemina Stuart-Smith, Peter Walsh, Dianne J Bray, Martha Kusetic, Michael Burgess, Stewart D Frusher, Daniel C Gledhill, Oliver George, Gary Jackson, …

Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol.6, 349

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00349

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Abstract

Oceanography

Ecology

citizen science program

climate change ecology

community-based monitoring

data verification

range-shift

science communication

species identification

species redistribution

Citizen science includes a suite of research approaches that involves participation by citizens, who are not usually trained scientists, in scientific projects. Citizen science projects have the capacity to record observations of species with high precision and accuracy, offering the potential for collection of biological data to support a diversity of research investigations. Moreover, via the involvement of project participants, these projects have the potential to engage the public on scientific issues and to possibly contribute to changes in community knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. However, there are considerable challenges in ensuring that large-scale collection and verification of species data by the untrained public is a robust and useful long-term endeavor, and that project participants are indeed engaged and acquiring knowledge. Here, we describe approaches taken to overcome challenges in creation and maintenance of a website-based national citizen science initiative where fishers, divers, and other coastal users submit opportunistic photographic observations of 'out-of-range' species. The Range Extension Database and Mapping Project (Redmap Australia) has two objectives, (1) ecological monitoring for the early detection of species that may be extending their geographic distribution due to environmental change, and (2) engaging the public on the ecological impacts of climate change, using the public's own data. Semi-automated 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of scientists with taxonomic expertise is used to verify every photographic observation. This unique system is supported by efficient workflows that ensures the rigor of data submitted. Moreover, ease of involvement for participants and prompt personal feedback has contributed to generating and maintaining ongoing interest. The design of Redmap Australia allows co-creation of knowledge with the community - without participants requiring formal training - providing an opportunity to engage sectors of the community that may not necessarily be willing to undergo training or otherwise be formally involved or engaged in citizen science. Given that capturing changes in our natural environment requires many observations spread over time and space, identifying factors and processes that support large-scale citizen science monitoring projects is increasingly critical.

Details

Title: Redmap Australia: Challenges and successes with a large-scale citizen science-based approach to ecological monitoring and community engagement on climate change
Authors: Gretta T Pecl (Author) - University of Tasmania
Jemina Stuart-Smith (Author) - University of Tasmania
Peter Walsh (Author) - University of Tasmania
Dianne J Bray (Author) - Museums Victoria
Martha Kusetic (Author) - James Cook University
Michael Burgess (Author) - Fishcare Victoria Inc.
Stewart D Frusher (Author) - University of Tasmania
Daniel C Gledhill (Author) - Tasmania Department of Primary Industries
Oliver George (Author) - Condense Pty Ltd
Gary Jackson (Author) - Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
John Keane (Author) - University of Tasmania
Victoria Y Martin (Author) - Cornell University, United States
Melissa Nursey-Bray (Author) - University of Adelaide
Andrew Pender (Author) - University of Tasmania
Lucy M Robinson (Author) - University of Western Australia
Keith Rowling (Author) - PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture
Marcus Sheaves (Author) - James Cook University
Natalie Moltschaniwskyj (Author) - University of Newcastle
Publication details: Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol.6, 349; 11
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Date published: 2019
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00349
ISSN: 2296-7745
Copyright note: Copyright © 2019 Pecl, Stuart-Smith, Walsh, Bray, Kusetic, Burgess, Frusher, Gledhill, George, Jackson, Keane, Martin, Nursey-Bray, Pender, Robinson, Rowling, Sheaves and Moltschaniwskyj. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451357402621
Output Type: Journal article

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