Can citizen science contribute to fish assemblages monitoring in understudied areas? The case study of Tunisian marine protected areas

Lamine, Emna Ben; Franco, Antonio; Romdhane, Mohamed Salah; Francour, Patrice

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.031

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…By providing hands-on and engaging experiences in natural marine settings, MCS initiatives foster education on many levels among scuba divers, not only to include environmental and conservation aspects, but also safety aspects [ 12 , 44 ]. In addition, engaging scuba divers in MCS plays a crucial role in promoting the acceptance of and compliance with management decisions, for example those concerning marine protected areas [ 9 , 43 , 45 ]. MCS projects engaging different stakeholders in the scuba diving tourism industry can lead to new business opportunities [ 46 ], to mutual legitimation between often conflicting groups, and to better policy implementation [ 16 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stirring the strategic direction of scuba diving marine Citizen Science: A survey of active and potential participants

et al. 2018

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Citizen Science (CS) strengthens the relationship between society and science through education and engagement, with win-win benefits. Marine Citizen Science (MCS) is increasingly popular, thanks to society’s growing interest in marine environments and marine issues. Scuba diving significantly increases the potential of MCS, thanks to the skills and behavioural properties of people who participate in the sport. To be able to exploit this potential, however, MCS needs to face challenges related to CS, to scuba diving activities and to the broader scuba diving industry. In particular, engagement and recruitment of potential volunteers, as well as retention of active participants, represent key milestones. In order to reach these milestones, information is required on current participation levels of scuba divers in MCS, as well as the motivations behind participation, and the opinions held by potential participants in MCS. This study explored different case studies and methods of data collection to provide an overview of actual and potential participation in MCS by the scuba diving community. The results show that scuba divers, whether active or potential marine citizen scientists, are well disposed towards MCS. Some barriers, however, prevent the full participation of scuba divers as marine citizen scientists. Certain barriers extend beyond the control of both divers and MCS projects, while others, such as limited access to MCS projects and poor feedback after participation, can and should be addressed. The recommendations of this research provide strategic direction to MCS, so that the broad scuba diving community can be successfully integrated into MCS. These recommendations acknowledge the important role played by stakeholders in the scuba diving industry, as well as professional intermediaries and hired experts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stirring the strategic direction of scuba diving marine Citizen Science: A survey of active and potential participants

et al. 2018

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“…Another possible solution is to expand the use of citizen science. Citizen science data has been shown to be as effective as expert surveys for reef fish given some species identification limitations [54], and citizen science data on sharks has recently been used for monitoring [55][56][57]. Predictive modeling with citizen science data has only begun, but its potential use has been demonstrated by a worldwide analysis of reef fish monitoring data to determine the effect of temperature gradients [58].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of spatial habitat associations and modeling of marine fish distribution: A guide to predictors, methods, and knowledge gaps

et al. 2021

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As species distribution models, and similar techniques, have emerged in marine ecology, a vast array of predictor variables have been created and diverse methodologies have been applied. Marine fish are vital food resources worldwide, yet identifying the most suitable methodology and predictors to characterize spatial habitat associations, and the subsequent distributions, often remains ambiguous. Our objectives were to identify knowledge gaps in fish guilds, identify research themes, and to determine how data sources, statistics, and predictor variables differ among fish guilds. Data were obtained from an international literature search of peer-reviewed articles (2007–2018; n = 225) and research themes were determined based on abstracts. We tested for differences in data sources and modeling techniques using multinomial regressions and used a linear discriminant analysis to distinguish differences in predictors among fish guilds. Our results show predictive studies increased over time, but studies of forage fish, sharks, coral reef fish, and other fish guilds remain sparse. Research themes emphasized habitat suitability and distribution shifts, but also addressed abundance, occurrence, stock assessment, and biomass. Methodologies differed by fish guilds based on data limitations and research theme. The most frequent predictors overall were depth and temperature, but most fish guilds were distinguished by their own set of predictors that focused on their specific life history and ecology. A one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable for predicting marine fish distributions. However, given the paucity of studies for some fish guilds, researchers would benefit from utilizing predictors and methods derived from more commonly studied fish when similar habitat requirements are expected. Overall, the findings provide a guide for determining predictor variables to test and identifies novel opportunities to apply non-spatial knowledge and mechanisms to models.

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“…The Fish Assemblage Sampling Technique (FAST) is a UVC method designed for routine monitoring of coastal areas [26]. Indices calculated from data collected with FAST censuses can be used as proxies of variables describing the structure and composition (e.g., species richness, total density, size) of fish assemblages [10]. For each sampling site, the data collection consisted of a minimum of six replicates of 15 min visual scans, carried out at a depth between 10 and 25 m, covering all kinds of substrata (sand, seagrass, rocky areas), along a random pathway using SCUBA diving.…”

Section: Fish Assemblage Sampling Technique (Fast)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coastal fishes are not only valuable elements of marine biodiversity, but they also play an important ecological role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems: food resource, transfer of nutrients, predators [8,9]. Therefore, data on the compositions of fish assemblages are of great importance [10]. 2…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Spatial and Temporal Trends in a Mediterranean Fish Assemblage Structure

Marengo

Iborra

Leduc³

et al. 2021

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Coastal fishes are not only valuable elements of marine biodiversity, but they also play an important ecological role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems: food resource, transfer of nutrients, predators. Therefore, data on the compositions of fish assemblages are of great importance. The objectives of the present study were to (i) define the faunistic characteristics of a typical fish community on the Mediterranean coast; (ii) investigate spatiotemporal changes in fish assemblages. Based on a set of indices (Fast protocol) and a long-term data set (6 years, 612 visual counts, 154 h of diving), changes in coastal fish communities were analyzed. Our results indicated that there was a significant shift in fish community structure, with a general decline of the calculated indices. In our study, part of the observed variability in fish assemblage structure could be due to different factors as site location and sampled year. The changes in the fish assemblages associated with inter-annual fluctuations observed in this study also provide important insights into how fish communities may change under environmental and anthropogenic influences.

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Can citizen science contribute to fish assemblages monitoring in understudied areas? The case study of Tunisian marine protected areas

Cited by 14 publications

References 35 publications

Stirring the strategic direction of scuba diving marine Citizen Science: A survey of active and potential participants

Stirring the strategic direction of scuba diving marine Citizen Science: A survey of active and potential participants

A systematic review of spatial habitat associations and modeling of marine fish distribution: A guide to predictors, methods, and knowledge gaps

Assessing Spatial and Temporal Trends in a Mediterranean Fish Assemblage Structure

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