Citizen scientists collect more nature data than ever, showing us where common and threatened species live
For decades, keen amateur naturalists have been gathering data about nature and the environment around them – and sharing it.
- For decades, keen amateur naturalists have been gathering data about nature and the environment around them – and sharing it.
- But what is new is the rate at which citizen scientists are collecting and sharing useful data.
- Despite the growing success in collecting data, there has long been scepticism over how reliable the data are when used to, say, estimate how abundant a threatened species is.
- It turns out, citizen science is extremely useful – especially when paired with professionally collected data.
How did we test it?
- Around Australia, thousands of people contribute regularly through platforms like iNaturalist, DigiVol, 1 Million Turtles, FrogID and Butterflies Australia.
- But data from all major citizen science apps is also shared with the Atlas of Living Australia, Australia’s largest open-source open-access biodiversity data repository.
- But for the red-browed firetail (Neochmia temporalis), citizen science was the main contributor in over 86.5% of its locations.
- Read more:
From counting birds to speaking out: how citizen science leads us to ask crucial questions
What about rarely recorded species?
- For some rare species, citizen science is proving invaluable in ongoing monitoring.
- Take the threatened black rockcod (Epinephelus daemelii), a large, territorial fish which been decimated by spearfishing and other pressures.
Citizen science is coming of age
- By combining citizen science data with professionally collected data, we can get the best of both worlds – a much richer picture of species’ distributions.
- He told us:
My drive to contribute to citizen science is to further my understanding of the natural world and contribute to decision making on environmental matters. - Using citizen science platforms, I have been able to learn so much about harder-to-identify organisms.
- My drive to contribute to citizen science is to further my understanding of the natural world and contribute to decision making on environmental matters.
- Using citizen science platforms, I have been able to learn so much about harder-to-identify organisms.