Citizen science for the ecosystemic restoration and biological monitoring of the Ocotal coral reef, Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica
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| Forfatter: | |
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| Format: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de Publicación: | 2025 |
| Beskrivelse: | Sea-citizens: assessing the participation of citizen scientists in marine biology research. Citizen science (CS), in marine environments, provides stakeholders with valuable data for conservation and integrated coastal management. To overview components of marine biology CS projects, research topics and citizens participation— we review peer-reviewed articles published from 2009 to August 2023. A total of 445 scientific papers were analyzed. This review identified an increase in the publication through the years, in regions and countries who have a favorable context— including financial, institutional, and social involvement—to support such programs. 75 % of the studies lasted a maximum of eight years, with groups that range between 1 to 19 843 citizens, supported by academics and digital platforms. The human capital makes possible to conduct projects predominantly related to spatiotemporal patterns of biological groups; however, other research topics were addressed. The access and attractiveness of the ecosystems may have influenced the surveyed ecosystems, since coastal areas and reefs were the most extensively studied. Citizen scientists predominantly conducted fieldwork, yet other roles were less frequent, but still relevant. In all cases, authors pointed to the relevance of CS research in conservation outcomes. CS initiatives should be seen as a complement to traditional surveys, not a replacement. Marine CS programs present perks that exceed the cost reduction of data collection, it is a way of repaying the historical debt that science has with local communities while encouraging a framework of social participation in environmental issues. Citizen science: pathway for coral reef restoration in Ocotal Bay, Costa-Rican north pacific. Coral reefs are facing a worldwide crisis. To promote public participation in restoration efforts, we established a citizen science program in Ocotal Bay, North Pacific of Costa Rica— aimed to restore and monitor the degraded reef. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a citizen science approach, using the biological parameters and volunteers’ social insight as indicators. Artificial structures filled with Pocillopora spp. fragments were placed. Volunteers and academics monitored the substrate composition and fish community. Surveys were conducted to profile the volunteers’ social values. In two years, 63 activities were carried out. Volunteers reported seven substrates, with significant differences in the substrate composition, compared to academic evaluations. They recorded 12 out of 20 fish species documented in the restoration area, which showed changes due to the active restoration. Protocols refreshment and sustained participation seem to be influencing the monitoring efficiency. Despite the bleaching event caused by the increase in the sea surface temperature, healthy coral cover almost duplicated its area throughout the study. Volunteers are motivated by idealistic incentives and cultural ecosystem services from coral reefs. Ensuring long-term sustainability requires addressing other values. Volunteers' knowledge was positively correlated with marine sports experience and commitment to the project, suggesting that skilled volunteers are more likely to properly apply protocols. The concepts of coral restoration and citizen science are well understood, but their knowledge is restricted to their experience. Engaging communities in coral reef conservation efforts is necessary to contribute with resilient reefs that are able to overcome current and future conditions. |
| País: | Kérwá |
| Institution: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Kérwá |
| Sprog: | Inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:kerwa.ucr.ac.cr:10669/102895 |
| Online adgang: | https://hdl.handle.net/10669/102895 |
| Palabra clave: | Ecosistemas marinos Marine ecosystems Investigación participativa Participatory research Crowdsource data Datos de colaboración colectiva Ciencia comunitaria Community science ENSO 2023-2024 El Niño 2023-2024 Procesos participativos Participatory process Latin-America Latinoamérica Socio-ecosistemas Socio-ecosystems |