Abstract
This paper discusses the design and implementation of a citizen science pilot project, COMBER (Citizens’ Network for the Observation of Marine BiodivERsity, http://www.comber.hcmr.gr), which has been initiated under the ViBRANT EU e-infrastructure. It is designed and implemented for divers and snorkelers who are interested in participating in marine biodiversity citizen science projects. It shows the necessity of engaging the broader community in the marine biodiversity monitoring and research projects, networks and initiatives. It analyses the stakeholders, the industry and the relevant markets involved in diving activities and their potential to sustain these activities. The principles, including data policy and rewards for the participating divers through their own data, upon which this project is based are thoroughly discussed. The results of the users analysis and lessons learned so far are presented. Future plans include promotion, links with citizen science web developments, data publishing tools, and development of new scientific hypotheses to be tested by the data collected so far.
Highlights
The interdisciplinary nature of biodiversity science and current problems The Rio Earth Summit (1992) drew international concern to the global biological diversity loss and transformed the concept of biodiversity into a matter of public awareness and into an important issue in the political arena (Magurran 2004)
The COMBER pilot project has been designed according to five fundamental principles: (a) Diving safety, ensured by involving two certified diving centres in the project which were responsible for the strict adherence to safety rules; (b) Simplicity: this principle refers to the underwater observation protocol and is extremely important, especially for non-professional recreational divers, because the diving process itself contains many elements requiring the divers’ concentration
Tourism is among the most prominent economic sectors in Greece, with an average annual contribution of more than 15% to the GDP which shows a constantly increasing rate in the recent years, approaching the 20% in 2011
Summary
The interdisciplinary nature of biodiversity science and current problems The Rio Earth Summit (1992) drew international concern to the global biological diversity loss and transformed the concept of biodiversity into a matter of public awareness and into an important issue in the political arena (Magurran 2004). The extent to which changes in biodiversity may induce reduction of ecosystem performance and of its potential to provide humankind with products and services still remains the focus of much scientific effort (Worm et al 2006) The effects of these changes on the ecosystem’s goods and services may imply losses of several trillions of dollars forever The CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity 1993) forced scientists to consider multiple levels of biological organisation (e.g. genes, species, ecosystems) and an extended range of geographical or any other type of observational scales (e.g. from local to global) in which alterations may occur These changes in scientific thinking brought to researchers, environmental managers, and policy makers the issue of the vast amount of data and information required to meet the CBD’s goals, such as monitoring and conservation of biodiversity at a global scale. The term “taxonomic impediment” refers to the discipline of taxonomy, the multidisciplinary nature of biodi-
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