Assessing the value and challenges of using citizen-science to understand plastic pollution in the marine environment

评估利用公民科学了解海洋环境中塑料污染的价值和挑战

• 批准号: BB/T018461/1
• 负责人: Brendan Godley
• 金额: $ 2.56万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FT018461%2F1
• 关键词: Assessing; value; challenges; using; citizen

Growing evidence suggests that anthropogenic litter, particularly plastic pollution, represents a highly pervasive and persistent threat due to its potential to cause ecological and socio-economic impacts (Beaumont et al., 2019). For example, entanglement, ingestion and the associated increased risk of exposure to chemical contaminants, seabed smothering and abrasion, spread of invasive species, and detrimental effects on human health and well-being. Understanding the abundance, distribution and composition of litter along coastlines is important for designing and implementing effective management strategies aimed at reducing future inputs. Gathering such data, however, can be expensive and time-consuming but organisations that enlist volunteers - or citizen scientists - to clean up litter and record information about its presence, are often able to resolve many of the logistical or financial constraints. Globally, the number of citizen-science litter clean-up projects appears to be increasing and it is essential that we are able to harness the evidence generated by the data they collect and hold. Currently, however, many citizen-science programmes operate independently from one another and our previous work with one organisation, the Marine Conservation Society (Nelms et al., 2017) highlighted that the data they collect are not directly comparable with other organisations due to differences in data collection methods. These differences may be due to a range of factors, such as constraints in capacity, financial restrictions or the challenges of volunteer management. For this project, we will collaborate with UK organisations using an online questionnaire survey and follow-up workshop(s) leading to a high quality, policy relevant peer-reviewed publication, to i) understand the scale of litter removal and data collection by volunteers across the UK; ii) explore the barriers citizen-science organisations face in maximising public engagement of data collection; iii) build capacity for improved data-sharing and evidence gathering throughout the sector; and iv) understand how citizen science clean-up schemes could contribute to more circular plastics economy.References:Beaumont N.J., Aanesen M, M. Austen, T. Börger, J. Clark, M. Cole, T. Hooper, P. K. Lindeque, C. Pascoe, K. Wyles (2019) Global ecological, social and economic impacts of marine plastic. Marine Pollution Bulletin 142, 189-195Nelms SE, Coombes C, Foster LC, Galloway TS, Godley BJ, Lindeque PK, Witt MJ (2017) Marine anthropogenic litter on British beaches: a 10-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data. Science of the Total Environment. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.137

越来越多的证据表明，人为垃圾，特别是塑料污染，是一种高度普遍和持久的威胁，因为它可能造成生态和社会经济影响（博蒙等人，2019年）。例如，缠绕、吞食以及与此相关的接触化学污染物的风险增加、海底窒息和磨损、入侵物种的扩散以及对人类健康和福祉的有害影响。了解沿着垃圾的丰度、分布和组成，对于设计和执行旨在减少未来投入的有效管理战略十分重要。然而，收集此类数据可能既昂贵又耗时，但招募志愿者或公民科学家来清理垃圾并记录其存在信息的组织通常能够解决许多后勤或财务限制。在全球范围内，公民科学垃圾清理项目的数量似乎正在增加，我们必须能够利用他们收集和持有的数据所产生的证据。然而，目前，许多公民科学计划彼此独立运作，我们以前与一个组织，海洋保护协会（Nelms等人，2017）强调，由于数据收集方法的差异，他们收集的数据与其他组织无法直接比较。这些差异可能是由一系列因素造成的，如能力限制、财政限制或志愿人员管理方面的挑战。在这个项目中，我们将与英国组织合作，使用在线问卷调查和后续研讨会，以产生高质量的，与政策相关的同行评审出版物，以i）了解英国各地志愿者清除垃圾和收集数据的规模; ii）探索公民科学组织在最大限度地提高公众参与数据收集方面面临的障碍; iii）提高整个行业的数据共享和证据收集能力; iv）了解公民科学清理计划如何有助于更循环的塑料经济。参考资料：博蒙新泽西州，Aanesen M，M. Austen，T. Börger，J. Clark，M.科尔，T。胡珀峰林德克角Pascoe，K.怀尔斯（2019）海洋塑料的全球生态，社会和经济影响。海洋污染公报142，189- 195 Nelms SE，Coombes C，Foster LC，Galloway TS，Godley BJ，Lindeque PK，Witt MJ（2017）英国海滩上的海洋人为垃圾：使用公民科学数据进行的10年全国性评估。整体环境科学。doi：10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.137

项目成果

The role of citizen science in addressing plastic pollution: Challenges and opportunities

公民科学在解决塑料污染方面的作用：挑战和机遇

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.11.002
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Environmental Science & Policy
• 影响因子: 6
• 作者: Nelms S