Applying citizen science to freshwater ecosystem restoration – fact sheet

Abstract

Citizen science describes the diverse ways in which the public participates in scientific investigations. Participation covers a spectrum from sending observations to a project coordinator to designing, implementing protocols, analysing and sharing findings. The popularity of citizen science both for educational and scientific purposes has grown in recent decades. Community volunteers now participate in diverse programmes that investigate the effects of climate change on biota, evolutionary processes, invasive species ecology, and changes in water and air quality (Figure 1).