FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up
Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly facing major global and local stressors, while monitoring surface water status by regulatory agencies is often limited by financial and political constraints. Citizen science–based approaches with robust quality control and training can support regulatory monit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Citizen Science: Theory and Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://account.theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/index.php/up-j-cstp/article/view/754 |
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| author | Isabel Bishop Amedeo Boldrini Wim Clymans Charlotte Hall Heather Moorhouse Stephen Parkinson Kesella Scott-Somme Ian Thornhill Steven Loiselle |
| author_facet | Isabel Bishop Amedeo Boldrini Wim Clymans Charlotte Hall Heather Moorhouse Stephen Parkinson Kesella Scott-Somme Ian Thornhill Steven Loiselle |
| author_sort | Isabel Bishop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly facing major global and local stressors, while monitoring surface water status by regulatory agencies is often limited by financial and political constraints. Citizen science–based approaches with robust quality control and training can support regulatory monitoring and decision-making. Herein, we outline the criteria used to develop a citizen science monitoring program for water quality, based on a standardized methodology designed to support the Agenda 2030 indicator 6.3.2 and the EU’s Water Framework Directive. We explore the evolution of protocols used to ensure data robustness and transferability and examine the utility of contextual information registered by citizen scientists. We present laboratory and field experiments conducted to validate chemical and optical methods. Using the data from more than 80 projects across 4 biogeographical regions, we explore consistencies and differences in seasonal and spatial trends in macronutrient concentrations between regions. Our results indicate that nitrate and phosphate concentrations tend to increase in areas with agricultural intensification and industrial land use. Seasonally, nitrate concentrations reach a maximum in spring and autumn in temperate regions, while phosphate levels are highest in summer and autumn, reaching a minimum in winter. We also found that observations of algal blooms coincided with periods of lower nitrate concentrations. Importantly, data of ecological, chemical, and optical conditions recorded by citizen scientists are being used by local and regional stakeholders in managing freshwater ecosystems. This study reveals the potential for scaling citizen science–based monitoring programs to contribute towards a global assessment of water quality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ec114f903294f308396c6bdf757d0ad |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2057-4991 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Citizen Science: Theory and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ec114f903294f308396c6bdf757d0ad2025-02-11T05:31:54ZengUbiquity PressCitizen Science: Theory and Practice2057-49912025-01-011012210.5334/cstp.754736FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom UpIsabel Bishop0Amedeo Boldrini1Wim Clymans2Charlotte Hall3Heather Moorhouse4Stephen Parkinson5Kesella Scott-Somme6Ian Thornhill7Steven Loiselle8Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research (CBER) UCL London WC1H 0AGDepartment of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy – University of SienaFlemish Institute for Technological Research, Boeretang 200, 2400 MolThomas Bennett Community College, Ashdown Dr, Crawley RH10 5ADThomas Bennett Community College, Ashdown Dr, Crawley RH10 5ADEarthwatch Europe, Mayfield House, 256 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DEWild-Connect, Great House Barn, Talgarth, Brecon LD3 0AHSchool of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PLUniversity of Siena, Siena, 53400, IT; Earthwatch Europe, Mayfield House, 256 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DEFreshwater ecosystems are increasingly facing major global and local stressors, while monitoring surface water status by regulatory agencies is often limited by financial and political constraints. Citizen science–based approaches with robust quality control and training can support regulatory monitoring and decision-making. Herein, we outline the criteria used to develop a citizen science monitoring program for water quality, based on a standardized methodology designed to support the Agenda 2030 indicator 6.3.2 and the EU’s Water Framework Directive. We explore the evolution of protocols used to ensure data robustness and transferability and examine the utility of contextual information registered by citizen scientists. We present laboratory and field experiments conducted to validate chemical and optical methods. Using the data from more than 80 projects across 4 biogeographical regions, we explore consistencies and differences in seasonal and spatial trends in macronutrient concentrations between regions. Our results indicate that nitrate and phosphate concentrations tend to increase in areas with agricultural intensification and industrial land use. Seasonally, nitrate concentrations reach a maximum in spring and autumn in temperate regions, while phosphate levels are highest in summer and autumn, reaching a minimum in winter. We also found that observations of algal blooms coincided with periods of lower nitrate concentrations. Importantly, data of ecological, chemical, and optical conditions recorded by citizen scientists are being used by local and regional stakeholders in managing freshwater ecosystems. This study reveals the potential for scaling citizen science–based monitoring programs to contribute towards a global assessment of water quality.https://account.theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/index.php/up-j-cstp/article/view/754citizen sciencesdgsquality controlwater qualityrapid assessment |
| spellingShingle | Isabel Bishop Amedeo Boldrini Wim Clymans Charlotte Hall Heather Moorhouse Stephen Parkinson Kesella Scott-Somme Ian Thornhill Steven Loiselle FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up Citizen Science: Theory and Practice citizen science sdgs quality control water quality rapid assessment |
| title | FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up |
| title_full | FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up |
| title_fullStr | FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up |
| title_full_unstemmed | FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up |
| title_short | FreshWater Watch: Investigating the Health of Freshwater Ecosystems, from the Bottom Up |
| title_sort | freshwater watch investigating the health of freshwater ecosystems from the bottom up |
| topic | citizen science sdgs quality control water quality rapid assessment |
| url | https://account.theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/index.php/up-j-cstp/article/view/754 |
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