Assessing the citizen science approach as tool to increase awareness on the marine litter problem
Introduction
SEACleaner is an educational and citizen science project implemented from 2013 to 2018 by the Italian Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR-CNR, Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche), in collaboration with other Research Institutes (DLTM, Ligurian District for Marine Technologies; INGV, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia; ENEA, Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile). The project aims to collect data on macro- and micro- beached marine litter in the particularly vulnerable wide Macro-area belonging to “Pelagos Sanctuary” (International Protected Area in the NW Mediterranean Sea). Hundreds of secondary school students and volunteers attended a preparatory session and then carried out field activities together with the researchers. In detail, they collected data about the type, distribution and main pollution sources of macro “Anthropogenic Marine Debries”1 (AMDs) in 11 beaches located in 5 different areas (Pianosa Island in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park; Migliarino, Massaciuccoli, San Rossore Natural Regional Park, hereinafter San Rossore Park; Palmaria Island in the Porto Venere Natural Regional Park; Cinque Terre National Park; Lerici). Results of a sub-sample of thirty-three surveys, taken between January 2014 and December 2015 in different seasons, allow an estimate of quantity, typology, distribution of beach litter within this coastal macro-area, and the assessment of the beach quality index for the studied sites (Giovacchini et al., 2018).
The citizen science approach has proven to be an efficient way to deal with scientific investigations, especially in ecology research (Danielsen et al., 2010; Dickinson et al., 2010, Dickinson et al., 2012; Garcia-Soto et al., 2017; Kobori et al., 2016; Newman et al., 2012; Reed, 2008; Roy et al., 2012a, Roy et al., 2012b; Theobald et al., 2015; Thiel et al., 2014) and Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) detecting (Azzurro et al., 2013; Crall et al., 2010; Mannino and Balistreri, 2018; Mioni et al., 2018). The assessment of this approach as an effective research tool has been explored (Crall et al., 2011; Forrester et al., 2015; Gillett et al., 2012; Hunter et al., 2013; Tregidgo et al., 2013; Tulloch et al., 2013) and the Thiel et al.' (2014) review showed that volunteer-generated data contributed information about population dynamics, distribution of marine organisms, marine litter and so on, and particularly supported long-term monitoring programs for Marine Protected Areas. Benefits include not only enhanced monitoring skills, but also increase in Ocean Literacy and citizens' empowerment (Eastman et al., 2013; Gelcich et al., 2014; Hartley et al., 2015; Santoro et al., 2017; Wyles et al., 2017), improving, at the same time, education in the environmental field (Eastman et al., 2014; Fletcher, 2013; Hartley et al., 2015; Merlino et al., 2015a; Merlino et al., 2015b; Mioni et al., 2016). Specifically, in the field of marine litter, monitoring studies described the citizen science contribution to data collection/elaboration (Anderson and Alford, 2014; Bravo et al., 2009; Browne et al., 2011; Carson, 2013; Claessens et al., 2011; Gago et al., 2014; Hidalgo-ruz and Thiel, 2013; Hong et al., 2014; Kordella et al., 2013; Nelms et al., 2017; Rosevelt et al., 2013; Smith and Edgar, 2014) and specified methodologies to assess its validity (Hidalgo-ruz and Thiel, 2013; van der Velde et al., 2017). The long history of citizen participation in science notwithstanding, the process of understanding the best way to implement and evaluate this approach is just beginning (Garcia-Soto et al., 2017), and more efforts in this sense are necessary. SEACleaner project is placed in this framework, as its purpose is twofold: to collect a large amount of data on quantity, typology, distribution of beach litter AMDs, through the application of a standard protocol and rigorous scientific criteria, and also to raise awareness about this daunting environmental problem. During the five years of the SEACleaner project, we realized that, despite its environmental impact and the growth of the related scientific literature (Alomar et al., 2016; Andrady, 2015; Collignon et al., 2014; Cózar et al., 2015; Eriksen et al., 2014; Faure et al., 2015; Fossi et al., 2014; Galgani, 2015; Galgani et al., 2013; Kordella et al., 2013; Kühn et al., 2015; Munari et al., 2016; Poeta et al., 2014; Ryan et al., 2009; Suaria et al., 2016; Thiel et al., 2014; Topçu et al., 2013; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Vlachogianni et al., 2017, Vlachogianni et al., 2018), the marine litter problem is often unknown to students and, as we know, it is not treated in standard Italian school programs. Therefore, it is very important to educate the younger generations about this issue. Involving students in real monitoring programs could be a perfect way to do that, with the result to join the scientific/environmental value with the educational one, making known the serious problem of pollution of our beaches and our seas, as well as promoting and disseminating the use of scientific methodology that underlies this type of investigation (Hidalgo-ruz and Thiel, 2013; Merlino et al., 2015a; Merlino et al., 2015b; Mioni et al., 2016). In this case, the involvement of students within both school hours and, sometimes, also during their free time, can be easily realized through the educational tool of work-related learning internships (ASL), a didactic tool that has become compulsory in Italy since the third year of high school.2 The aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the approach of SEACleaner project in raising the awareness of marine pollution problem in the high school students involved in the surveys, and in increasing their knowledge of this issue.
Section snippets
Survey structure and administration
The multiple-choice questionnaire has been designed on the basis of a previous experience (Hartley et al., 2015; Locritani et al., 2015b). In detail, the scheme of the questionnaire (see Appendix, Table 2) is the same as the one implemented by Hartley et al., 2015, with the addition of some further questions (see below). The change was made with the collaboration of students involved in the ENVRIplus project3
General knowledge
Friedman test shows that the student awareness about marine litter general knowledge was significantly different at baseline (χ2(2) = 37.53, p < 0.0001), thus a series of Wilcoxon test match pair was conducted and all the differences result statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001). The students state that they know what bio-plastic are (mean value 2.48); on the contrary, they lack information about marine park status (mean value 1.86). After the SEACleaner activity, the general knowledge
Discussion
The results of the present survey show that there was a change of perception of the marine litter problem in the students attending the SEACleaner project (Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9). Thanks to the performed citizen science activities, the students realized which are the main AMD typologies present on the beaches, their origin, the importance of the rivers discharge, the coastal and the nearby hinterland productive activities and industries. Moreover, they become aware of the problem of plastic
Conclusions
Marine litter monitoring has proven to be a suitable citizen science activity, engaging volunteers from the general public in research activities related to a topical environmental issue (Anderson and Alford, 2014; Bravo et al., 2009; Eastman et al., 2014; Hidalgo-ruz and Thiel, 2013; Hong et al., 2014; Kordella et al., 2013; Merlino et al., 2015a; Nelms et al., 2017; Rosevelt et al., 2013; Smith and Edgar, 2014; Wyles et al., 2013). Drawing on the experience from the SEACleaner activities, we
Acknowledgements
The participation of students at the SEA Cleaner project was possible thanks to ESF-ERDF 2014/2020 Program (European Structural Funds - National Operative Program “For the School - skills and environments for learning” - Fondi Strutturali europei – Programma Operativo Nazionale “Per la Scuola - competenze e ambienti per l'apprendimento”).
The authors are grateful to Migliarino, Massaciuccoli, San Rossore Natural Regional Park, ToScience association, and the schools, teachers and students who
References (86)
- et al.
Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size
Mar. Environ. Res.
(2016) - et al.
Ghost fishing activity in derelict blue crab traps in Louisiana
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2014) - et al.
Anthropogenic debris on beaches in the SE Pacific (Chile): results from a national survey supported by volunteers
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2009) - et al.
Littering dynamics in a coastal industrial setting: the influence of non-resident populations
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2014) Author's personal copy the incidence of plastic ingestion by fishes: from the prey's perspective
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2013)- et al.
Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2011) - et al.
Annual variation in neustonic micro- and meso-plastic particles and zooplankton in the Bay of Calvi (Mediterranean-Corsica)
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
(2014) - et al.
Identification of self-reported user behavior, education level, and preferences to reduce littering on beaches - a survey from the SE Pacific
Ocean Coast. Manag.
(2013) - et al.
Comparing monitoring data collected by volunteers and professionals shows that citizen scientists can detect long-term change on coral reefs
J. Nat. Conserv.
(2015) - et al.
Large filter feeding marine organisms as indicators of microplastic in the pelagic environment: the case studies of the Mediterranean basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Mar. Environ. Res.
(2014)
Measurement of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in plastic resin pellets from remote islands: Toward establishment of background concentrations for International Pellet Watch
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Distribution and Abundance of Small Plastic Debris on Beaches in the SE Pacific (Chile): A Study Supported by a Citizen Science Project 88
Organic micropollutants in marine plastics debris from the open ocean and remote and urban beaches
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Quantities, composition, and sources of beach debris in Korea from the results of nationwide monitoring
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Marine litter on Mediterranean shores: analysis of composition, spatial distribution and sources in north-western Adriatic beaches
Waste Manag.
Science of the Total Environment Marine anthropogenic litter on British beaches: a 10-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data
Sci. Total Environ.
International Pellet Watch: Global monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal waters. 1. Initial phase data on PCBs, DDTs, and HCHs
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Marine litter in Mediterranean sandy littorals: spatial distribution patterns along central Italy coastal dunes
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Persistent organic pollutants carried by synthetic polymers in the ocean environment
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Marine debris in central California: quantifying type and abundance of beach litter in Monterey Bay, CA
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Influence of socio-economic characteristics of beach users on litter generation
Ocean Coast. Manag.
Call for pellets! International Pellet Watch global monitoring of POPs using beached plastic resin pellets
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Origin and abundance of marine litter along sandy beaches of the Turkish Western Black Sea Coast
Mar. Environ. Res.
Can citizen science produce good science? Testing the OPAL Air Survey methodology, using lichens as indicators of nitrogenous pollution
Environ. Pollut.
Realising the full potential of citizen science monitoring programs
Biol. Conserv.
Comparison of marine debris data collected by researchers and citizen scientists: is citizen science data worth the effort?
Biol. Conserv.
Marine litter on the beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: an assessment of their abundance, composition and sources
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Litter burial and exhumation: spatial and temporal distribution on a cobble pocket beach
Mar. Pollut. Bull.
Persistence of plastic litter in the oceans
Citizen science detects the undetected: the case of Abudefduf saxatilis from the Mediterranean Sea
Manag. Biol. Invasions
Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines woldwide: sources and sinks
Environ. Sci. Technol.
UNEP/IOC Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter, UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies, No. 186; IOC Technical Series
Plastic accumulation in the Mediterranean sea
PLoS One
Improving and integrating data on invasive species collected by citizen scientists
Biol. Invasions
Assessing citizen science data quality: an invasive species case study
Conserv. Lett.
Environmental monitoring: the scale and speed of implementation varies according to the degree of peoples involvement
J. Appl. Ecol.
Citizen science as an ecological research tool: challenges and benefits
Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.
The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement
Front. Ecol. Environ.
The potential for young citizen scientist projects: a case study of Chilean schoolchildren collecting data on marine litter
Rev. Gestão Costeira Integr.
Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea
PLoS One
An evaluation of surface micro- and mesoplastic pollution in pelagic ecosystems of the Western Mediterranean Sea
Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
Not Just a Load of Rubbish: Impacts of Participation in a Marine Debris Citizen Science Program on Primary and Secondary School Teachers
Characteristics (abundance, type and origin) of beach litter on the Galician coast (NW Spain) from 2001 to 2010
Sci. Mar.
Cited by (54)
Anthropogenic and environmental factors partly co-determine the level, composition and temporal variation of beach debris
2024, Journal of Hazardous MaterialsAssessing marine macrolitter on the coastline of the Asterousia Biosphere Reserve: Insights from a community-based study
2023, Marine Pollution BulletinMonitoring marine litter on Funchal beaches (Madeira Island): Insights for litter management
2023, Regional Studies in Marine ScienceMarine litter education: From awareness to action
2023, Marine Pollution BulletinKolb's experiential learning theory and marine debris education: Effects of different stages on learning
2023, Marine Pollution Bulletin