The experience of engaging citizens on projects about recording marine wildlife on ICYMARE Online Forum

Presented it on ICYMARE Online Forum on April 2021 on THE MEDITERRANEAN - BIOLOGICAL HOTSPOT OR LOST PARADISE topic.

Abstract:

​Enganment of citizens is not something new, even the biggest researchers in history were citizens without proper education of wildlife or biology. But in the last five decades things are changing rapidly in every direction, especially with the biodiversity loss.
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Now, in 21st century, it’s more urgent to record as many species we can, before they extinct. To do that we need more hands and observers to work in the field but that is really expensive and there are not so many scientists to work every day and everywhere in the field.

The cheapest and most times better solution is, to be able to give proper education on simple enthousiast citizens of how to observe, record and even engange with marine wildlife. In that way they can give huge amount data, especially on coastal marine biodiversity but in the same time the biologists and researchers are giving support to the citizen-scientists and educate them.

That shows that it’s the best solution on recording marine wildlife constantly and having educated citizens that can even help you further on the future with your research.