Redmap Australia: Challenges and Successes With a Large-Scale Citizen Science-Based Approach to Ecological Monitoring and Community Engagement on Climate Change

Abstract

Effective Opportunistic Citizen Science 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of scientists with taxonomic expertise is used to verify every photographic observation. This unique system is supported by efficient workflows that ensures the rigor of data submitted. Moreover, ease of involvement for participants and prompt personal feedback has contributed to generating and maintaining ongoing interest. The design of Redmap Australia allows co-creation of knowledge with the community-without participants requiring formal training-providing an opportunity to engage sectors of the community that may not necessarily be willing to undergo training or otherwise be formally involved or engaged in citizen science. Given that capturing changes in our natural environment requires many observations spread over time and space, identifying factors and processes that support large-scale citizen science monitoring projects is increasingly critical.

Marine recreational fishing and the implications of climate change

“…Azzurro et al, ). Similarly, ongoing monitoring to capture future changes can help scientists understand climate effects and how to best manage them ().…”

“…Yellowtail kingfish ( Seriola lalandi, Carangidae) for example is a species caught in eastern Australian fisheries, where the recreational catch exceeds that of the commercial catch (Lowry, Molony, Keag, & Penney, ), and where the distribution of oceanographic habitat has rapidly shifted poleward over the past 20 years (Champion, Hobday, Tracey, & Pecl, ). In the south‐east region of Australia, several “new” highly prized recreational species have been recorded, including mahi mahi or dolphin fish ( Coryphaena hippurus, Coryphaenidae), yellowtail kingfish, snapper and others, creating some excitement among recreational fishers ().…”

“…Australia operates a national citizen science programme the Range Extension Database and Mapping project, or Redmap Australia (http://www.redmap.org.au), through which recreational fishers and SCUBA divers send in photographs of species they catch or observe further polewards than expected, that is, species that might be undergoing range shifts. Over 3,000 “out‐of‐range” photographic observations have been submitted by over 800 citizen scientists and verified by more than 60 scientists around Australia (). These photographic observations have recorded kingfish up to 200 km poleward of the previous southernmost occurrence record for this species (Stuart‐Smith et al, ).…”

Citizen science and marine conservation: a global review

“…It can also improve public science literacy through participant learning [12,13] and sharing of knowledge among wider social networks [14]. Participation in marine citizen science enables communities to engage with the ocean, and inform themselves (and potentially their wider social networks) about issues including marine species redistributions [15], seafood harvesting [9], marine plastic pollution [16], cetacean conservation [17] and marine environmental planning [18], among others. Moreover, community-based citizen science efforts can enable more rapid implementation of research results into policies and management [19].…”

Oceanographic habitat suitability is positively correlated with the body condition of a coastal‐pelagic fish

“…Recent analyses have revealed that the distribution of oceanographic habitat for kingfish from eastern Australia has rapidly shifted poleward over the past 20 years (Champion, Hobday, Tracey, et al, 2018a). These analyses are supported by photo-verified observations of kingfish poleward of their historic southern Australian range boundary recorded by the Range Extension Database and Mapping Project (Redmap; www.redmap.org.au ;Pecl, Stuart-Smith, et al, 2019b) and a rapid assessment of species that are likely to be undergoing poleward range extensions in south-eastern Australia (Robinson, Gledhill, et al, 2015a). Taken together, these findings have provoked questions about potential relationships between oceanographic habitat quality and the relative body condition of kingfish throughout south-eastern Australia, including at their poleward range edge.…”