Reef Check California: Citizen Science Reef Monitoring Selena McMillan, PhD Jan Freiwald, PhD State Assembly Select Committee Hearing June 7 th 2017 Ph Phil G Garner
Citizen Science Citizen science engages non-scientists in authentic scientific research and monitoring Goals • Involve the public • Work over large spatial and temporal scales • Focus on informing natural resource management
Citizen Science Engagement Education Research
Reef Check Foundation 1998 - Reef Check Foundation established • Created to utilize citizen science • Study coral reefs worldwide • Inform and implement coral reef conservation through science
Reef Check California Established in 2006 Monitor rocky reefs & kelp forests using standardized protocols 1. Provide data to inform marine management and policy 2. Foster an educated constituency, supportive of science–based management and ocean stewardship
Reef Check California Marine protected area network • MPA baseline • MPA evaluation Pollution • Santa Barbara oil spill Fisheries management • Red abalone Emerging issues • Disease • Ecosystem change Climate Change • Implementing climate change monitoring in 2017
Reef Check California Training • Marine ecology • Oceanography • Fisheries management and MPAs • Intensive 4-day training – 2 days in classroom/pool – 2 days in open ocean • Volunteers are tested and certified – Annual re-certification
Reef Check California Training • Scientific method • Approach recognized by CDFW • Protocol comparable to academic research
Reef Check California Training Recreational Divers Agency Staff University Students Commercial Fisherman
Volunteer Participation 30 years of Educational background Over the last decade… 1.8% full-time work 4.0% >1000 volunteers 4-yr College participated in surveys 12.4% Masters by citizen • many more went PhD/MD/JD 46.9% through the training scientists 2-yr College = 8000 volunteer days 34.9% High School
Statewide Citizen Science Monitoring Program 11 years of data inside and outside of MPAs • 125 sites surveyed – 68 for 5 years or more • 56 within MPAs Annually • ~90 sites • ~250 trained volunteers/year
Statewide Citizen Science Monitoring Program • MPA baseline monitoring in all regions • Long-term MPA monitoring • Ecosystem change monitoring • Basic science
Changing Ocean Ecosystems 3 2.5 North Density (#/60 m2) North Central 2 Central 1.5 South 1 0.5 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year David Horwich
Changing Ocean Ecosystems
Changing Ocean Ecosystems
Changing Ocean Ecosystems
http://data.reefcheck.us/
Acknowledgements Citizen Scientist Volunteers
Thank you! Selena McMillan smcmillan@reefcheck.org reefcheck.org data.reefcheck.org
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