Research Programme
Research Programme
VOLUNTEER-BASED PROGRAMME TO MONITOR MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND ITS RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS
INTRODUCTION: The Mediterranean Sea hosts more than 17,000 described marine species, representing an estimated 7% of the world’s marine biodiversity and including a high percentage of endemic species [1]. Over 500 million people populate the basin and directly or indirectly depend on the ecological services provided by this key ecosystem. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean Sea is currently threatened by habitat loss and degradation, as well as extraction, pollution, eutrophication and the introduction of alien species. It has also been identified as one of the main climate change hotspots, shown to be one of the most responsive areas to climate change [2]. Anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea are predicted to increase in the future [1], especially those related to climate change, habitat degradation and exploitation [3]. Invasive and alien species, favoured by climate warming, have colonized the Mediterranean at a fast rate, representing a threat for the diversity conservation of this unique sea [4]. Within the context of high biodiversity, key services and growing impacts of human activities, there is a need for wide-scale and multidisciplinary monitoring and analyses to both understand current changes in the ecosystems and allow decision and policy-makers to enhance the sustainable management, protection and restoration of coastal resources. Improved assessment of biodiversity, especially at the species level, using state of the art techniques is urgent [5]. This improvement, especially needed in the marine environment, is intertwined with the study of population diversity, and requires an ad hoc sampling [6]. These needs are highlighted in various EU documents, such as: i) Europe 2020 strategy ii) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), iii) Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Regulation, iv) European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research, and v) several international conventions [e.g. EU 2020 priority ‘Sustainable Growth’; Rio+20; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)]. Coastal monitoring and management is a topic of direct interest of many citizens and communities, that leave directly in the impacted area or which have a direct interest on specific aspect of those areas. As a consequence, the knowledge of the areas and the expertise of several group of citizens cannot be neglected. Citizen Science, the practice of involving the public in the scientific process, from collecting, categorizing and transcribing to analysing and interpreting scientific data, has been growing rapidly over the last 2-3 decades. Programmes that include non-professionals (citizen scientists) have been implemented across a range of disciplines, from astronomy to environmental sciences. Citizen Science has value beyond simply providing the collection and analysis of scientific data at larger spatial and temporal scales than otherwise possible. By being involved, volunteers increase their scientific understanding and learn about the importance of knowledge-based environmental management [7]. Volunteers increase their knowledge of topical environmental issues and the related scientific debates, fostering their environmental awareness. They also deepen their understanding of both the limitations and the immense potential of science, while increasing their ability to participate in policy and management debates in relation to environmental stewardship. Citizen Science approaches create connections between participating stakeholders and local communities, which helps to alleviate feelings of frustration and disenfranchisement. The paradigm shift which has seen greater involvement of citizens in scientific research will contribute to the development of an ecosystem-/community-based approach for environmental management, and to the promotion of the understanding and protection of natural services. Moreover, bridging science to policy and society is a crucial issue for both current and future environmental management. In fact, scientific results need to be translated into recommendations for action that can be implemented by governmental and non-governmental organisations, industries, local authorities, and the public worldwide [8]. Facilitating scientific input into the development of conservation policies with an enhanced science policy interface was a high priority issue at the 2015 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP 21), which aimed for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, to achieve a legally binding, universal agreement on climate change mitigation. Despite the urgent need to fill the data gap and increase our knowledge on ocean systems, marine ecosystems were under-represented in Citizen Science approaches [9]. The current Citizen Science projects in the marine environment remain fragmented and focused only on specific scientific questions. In this context, this research programme will engage sea citizens to create a comprehensive inter-disciplinary monitoring system to collect data on Mediterranean Sea features and foster public dialogue on the management and conservation of this crucial habitat.
RESEARCH GOAL:
The aim of this project is to engage snorkelers, SCUBA divers and professional fishermen in the data collection about water quality and key species distribution in order to evaluate the Mediterranean environmental health and its response to climate change. Citizens will be engaged in different scientific fields and at different level of the scientific process. Citizens will not only contribute to the data collection, but they will be involved in the results discussion and dissemination. This approach will enhance citizen environmental awareness and marine stewardship amongst citizens and will promote dialogue between communities and decision-makers, in which scientific results will feature in discussions on how to direct future policies
This project aims to:
•Objective 1: collect information on species distribution, biodiversity and water quality by engaging sea citizens (people who spend time at the sea during their recreational or professional activities) and through this engagement to enhance research protocols by including local knowledge and research needs;
•Objective 2: contribute to volunteers’ participation, awareness and understanding of natural systems;
•Objective 3: inform decision-makers and stakeholders, leading to knowledge-based and participatory management of the marine resources.
METHODS:
Information Technology Tools Development
Based on previous experiences developed in the framework of the European CITCLOPS project [11], a new home-made buoy (a Do-It-Yourself; DIY) instrument will be developed to measure water transparency (as the primary water quality indicator). The instrument will be able to measure the light extinction in three different colour bands (R,G,B), which will provide more information about the origins of the water turbidity (sediments, algae or organic matter). Users interested in developing their own instrument will be able to do it just by following the instructions that will be described in a dedicated section of the project website. An integrated mobile App for water quality and biodiversity data collection will be developed. This App will take in account the achievement obtained by iNaturalist [10], a highly successful Citizen Science platform and smartphone App for the identification and monitoring of biodiversity and Natusfera [11], a fork of iNaturalist with new tools for Citizen Science collectives such as schools, policy makers and environmental associations. The App will incorporate new tools to introduce and visualize instrumental data regarding water quality data coming from DIY, as well to improve the communication among the diverse communities engaged in the project. An online mechanism will be designed to explore the influence of participation in the project. This will focus on how citizen volunteers’ interest in environmental science and their intentions to participate in Citizen Science in the future will be influenced by the project. It will also explore the impact of the project on volunteers’ willingness to participate in environmental stewardship programmes and to become involved in public policy planning and debate in this area.
Onshore Monitoring
Through the collaboration with diving agencies and diving centers, recreational SCUBA divers will be engaged to report the distribution of 61 key marine taxa (4 vegetal and 57 animal taxa). Soon after their excursions at the sea, volunteers will report using the data entry tool of the App (m. 6-30; UniBo). Our approach uses a standardized methodology called Recreational Citizen Science [14] that allows volunteers not to modify their recreational dives while participating in data collection. The monitored taxa are same as those monitored using this methodology during the project “Divers for the Environment“, performed in the Mediterranean Sea from 2002 to 2005 [14]. By using the same methodology, project findings can be used to compare the status of Mediterranean ecosystems with those of 10 years ago
Offshore Monitoring
During the first phase, informative meetings for fishermen’s organisations in the local Mediterranean fishing harbours will be organized to communicate what is known about fish biogeography from research related to climate change (e.g. [15]; [16]) with emphasis on invasive and thermophilic species (e.g., Lessepsian species). Explanations about how these fishes can negatively impact the traditionally exploited fish stocks in the Mediterranean will be provided in order to raise interest and awareness from the fishing community. Collectively with the fishermen, a list of invasive and thermophile organisms that likely can be caught by professional fishery vessels will be identified and supporting materials that will facilitate their appropriate identification by non-professional volunteers will be designed. In the second phase, fisherman volunteers will signal the capture of surveyed species through the mobile App or the website.
Water Quality monitoring
The water quality monitoring will be developed mainly through the observation of changes in water transparency. Water transparency is strongly affected by different water quality related components (such as phytoplankton, organic matter and sediment concentrations). The participants will provide the observations by using their own home-made buoy described above. SCUBA divers, sea kayakers and sailboat users will be among the users, and they will deploy the home-made buoy in each excursion at the sea.
Data Analyses
Data analysis will provide spatial and temporal trends in biodiversity, species distribution and environmental quality, which will be correlated with different anthropic uses and climate change effects. The data collected will be combined in a central data framework that will be shown via a flexible web portal, producing an exhaustive picture of the environmental status of the Mediterranean. The portal will be designed so that it can be consulted by citizens, decision-makers and members of academia, with functionalities of interest for the different user profiles. In particular, onshore monitoring data will be analysed to evaluate a biodiversity index (see exact procedure in [14]) and key taxa spatial and temporal distribution trends, correlating them with anthropogenic activities and management actions, and compare them with those detected 10 years ago. These results will allow to inform authorities on the effectiveness of current environmental management plans and how to direct future management actions, identifying new areas or sites with particular conservation problems. Offshore monitoring data will de analysed to evaluate species distribution, which will be correlated with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) obtained by from GIOVANNI (Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure, http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni), developed by GES DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center), one of twelve Science Mission Directorate (SMD) of NASA. These results will allow to identify sea warming driven species range shift, contributing to knowledge base on the extent of the impact of climate change on the Mediterranean Sea and improving the fishery management and halieutic resources conservation.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
Obj 1. The data collected will be uploaded in a web-based platform, producing an exhaustive picture of the environmental status of the Mediterranean. This platform will be designed so that it can be consulted by citizens, decision-makers and members of academia. Data analysis will provide spatial and temporal trends in species distribution and environmental quality, which will be correlated with different anthropic uses and climate change effects.
Obj 2. This project will diminish the human impact on sea, promoting stewardship towards the environment by involved volunteers and the public at large. This project will increase public understanding of natural systems and enhance awareness and engagement with environmental issues, such as climate change or pollution, both involving volunteers in practical monitoring programs and communicating project results through specific communication and dissemination activities.
Obj 3. This project will improve management of coastal areas, contributing to an evidence-based approach. Management suggestions and environmental information based on project results will be provided to stakeholders, local authorities and policy-makers. This project will also enhance the decision-making process through the empowerment and active role of citizens and communities.
ACTIVITIES PLAN
The training plan comprises the following activities:
- Literature review – Bibliographic researches will be performed to identify the organisms suitable for the research programme (i.e. organisms that are useful for the detection of biodiversity status and/or are sensitive to climate changes and are appropriate for a non-specialist volunteer-based monitoring).
- Information Technology development – In the first phase of the project, the data entry mobile App, the database platform and the home-made buoys will be conceptual designed and developed
- On field work – Volunteer will by involved through the collaboration with targeted organizations (i.e. diving agencies and professional fishery associations). For the snorkelers and SCUBA divers, the fellow will train during volunteers during
- Data analyses – Statistical analyses will be performed to analyse biodiversity index of the Mediterranean Sea and to evaluate species ranged shift related to water sea warming.
- Participants’ awareness and decision-making impact – The effectiveness of the project to increase volunteer environmental awareness and marine stewardship will be evaluate
UNIBO facilities involved in the project:
The research will be performed at the laboratories of the Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, including the Laboratory of Marine Biology and Fishery in Fano, in collaboration with Professor Corrado Piccinietti.
Other Institution involved in the project:
The information technology development will be performed in collaboration with Dr Jaume Piera from the Department of Physical and Technological Oceanography of the Institute of Marine Science (Barcelona, Spain).
The educational impact of the project will be evaluated in collaboration with Dr Emma Weitkamp from the HAS - Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Science Division of University of West England (Bristol, United Kingdom).