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Citizen Science as a Monitoring Tool in Aquatic Ecology: Trends, Gaps, and Future Perspectives

Author

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  • Helton Luis Nina Lameira

    (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sociedade, Natureza e Desenvolvimento (PPGSND), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Florestas (IBEF), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil
    Laboratório de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (LEIA), Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil)

  • Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero-Moreno

    (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sociedade, Natureza e Desenvolvimento (PPGSND), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Florestas (IBEF), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil
    Laboratório de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (LEIA), Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil)

  • Everton Cruz da Silva

    (Laboratório de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (LEIA), Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil
    Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia (PPGECO), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém 66075-110, Pará, Brazil)

  • Fernando Abreu Oliveira

    (Laboratório de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (LEIA), Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil)

  • Maria Alexandra Teodósio

    (Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Gambelas Campus, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal)

  • Karina Dias-Silva

    (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia (PPGECO), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém 66075-110, Pará, Brazil
    Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LABECO), Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas (FCB), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira 68372-040, Pará, Brazil)

  • James Ferreira Moura

    (Instituto de Humanidades (IH), Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), Redenção 62790-000, Ceará, Brazil)

  • Leandro Juen

    (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia (PPGECO), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém 66075-110, Pará, Brazil
    Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LABECO), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém 66075-110, Pará, Brazil)

  • José Max Barbosa Oliveira-Junior

    (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sociedade, Natureza e Desenvolvimento (PPGSND), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Florestas (IBEF), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil
    Laboratório de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (LEIA), Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Vera Paz Street, s/n (Tapajós Unit), Salé District, Santarém 68040-255, Pará, Brazil)

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems are essential for biodiversity and ecosystem services, but anthropogenic pressures threaten them. In this context, citizen science has emerged as an innovative strategy for biodiversity conservation and environmental monitoring. We conducted a scientometric analysis to identify patterns and gaps in the scientific literature on citizen science in aquatic ecology. We analyzed 185 articles published between 2003 and 2024 on the Web of Science and Scopus databases, with the highest number of publications on the topic (15.14%) in 2023. The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom were the most productive and frequently studied countries. Studies focused on marine ecosystems (50.28%), while freshwater environments, such as rivers (12.99%), remain under-represented. Taxonomic groups such as fish (30.64%) and aquatic mammals (13.87%) were most commonly studied. The focus of monitoring was on ecology and species conservation. The projects adopted a contributory model of citizen engagement (92.97%), with a predominance of urban citizens (60.51%). Participants were trained through online platforms (25.75%) and in-person courses (21.56%), while communication methods involved sharing photos and videos (38.77%) and online uploads (23.79%). Therefore, expanding studies on freshwater ecosystems and rural and traditional communities, and integrating different levels of citizen participation, is essential.

Suggested Citation

  • Helton Luis Nina Lameira & Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero-Moreno & Everton Cruz da Silva & Fernando Abreu Oliveira & Maria Alexandra Teodósio & Karina Dias-Silva & James Ferreira Moura & Leandro Juen & Jo, 2025. "Citizen Science as a Monitoring Tool in Aquatic Ecology: Trends, Gaps, and Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-25, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4972-:d:1666804
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