Utilising tourist-generated citizen science data in response to environmental challenges: A systematic literature review

There has been a proliferation of studies that have examined the impacts of public participation in Citizen Science (CS) that respond to environmental challenges and the recovery of ecosystems, endangered species or other important natural assets. However, comparatively few studies have explored how tourists may play a critical role in the generation of CS data and thus it has been posited that many potential opportunities remain unrealised. By systematically analysing studies that have utilised tourist-generated data in response to environmental challenges or issues, this paper seeks to establish an appraisal of what has so far been established in extant literature and to identify future possibilities for the inclusion of tourists in CS. Via our literature search, a total of 45 peer-reviewed studies were identified via the PRISMA search protocol. Our findings reveal numerous positive outcomes were reported that highlight the significant, yet largely untapped, potential of tourist integration in CS, with studies also offering a range of recommendations on how tourists could be included more effectively to expand scientific knowledge. Notwithstanding, several limitations were observed, and it is critical that future CS projects that utilise tourists for data collection purposes are acutely aware of the challenges they may encounter.

Photo-identification shows the spatio-temporal distribution of two sea turtle species in a Brazilian developmental foraging ground

Sea turtles spend most of their life cycle in foraging grounds. Research in developmental habitats is crucial to understanding individual dynamics and to support conservation strategies. One approach to gather information in foraging grounds is the use of cost-effective and non-invasive techniques that allow public participation. The present study aimed to use photographic-identification (photo-ID) to investigate the spatio-temporal distribution of Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata. Furthermore, we describe fibropapillomatosis occurrence. This work was carried out at subtropical rocky reefs of the Brazilian coast in Arraial do Cabo (22°57'S, 42°01'W), within a sustainable conservation unit. A total of 641 images were obtained through social media screening (n = 447), citizen science (n = 168), or intentional capture (n = 26) dated between 2006 and 2021. Additionally, 19 diving forms (between 2019 and 2021) were received from citizen scientists. All diving forms presented at least one turtle. Photo-ID identified 174 individuals of C. mydas, with 45 being resighted, while E. imbricata had 32 individuals, with 7 individuals resighted. The median interval between the first and last individual sighting was 1.7 years for C. mydas and 2.4 years for E. imbricata. Fibropapillomatosis was only observed in C. mydas, with a prevalence of 13.99% (20 of 143 individuals) and regression in 2 individuals (10.00%). Our results indicated that Arraial do Cabo is an important development area with individuals residing for at least 6 years. This study demonstrated that social media, along with photo-ID, can be useful to provide sea turtle estimates in a foraging ground using a non-invasive, low-cost method.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00227-023-04226-z.

Monitoring Green Sea Turtles in the San Gabriel River of Southern California

Effective conservation of endangered species relies on the characterization of habitat use and tracking of long-term population trends, which can be especially challenging for marine species that migrate long distances and utilize a diversity of habitats throughout their lives. Since 2012, citizen science volunteers at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, have been monitoring an urban population of East Pacific green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) that resides near the mouth of the San Gabriel River (SGR) in Southern California, USA, in order to gain insights about how the population uses this area. Here, we collate and analyze nine years of citizen science data, including observed sightings collected across 10 observation stations. Our results confirm that green sea turtles are frequently present around warm water effluent from power plants, similar to research results reported for other locations in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Importantly, observational data also show notable green sea turtle activity around the outfalls for a small wetland habitat bordering the SGR, highlighting the importance of wetland ecosystems as a key habitat and foraging area for this threatened population. Finally, our results showcase the benefits of using citizen science to monitor sea turtle populations in easily accessible nearshore habitats.