Citizen science initiatives and outcomes in plastic pollution monitoring and control in the southern Bay of Biscay.

• First application of Regulatory Focus Theory to examine citizen science engagement. • Self-reported motivations showed no variation among regulatory focus groups. • A significant skew toward prevention-focus was found in monitoring initiatives. • Higher regulatory focus intensity predicted shorter volunteer participation spans. • Solutions support SDGs 3, 11, and 13 via behaviorally-informed citizen science. Citizen science faces persistent challenges in sustaining engagement, and understanding drivers of volunteer participation, particularly in digital initiatives addressing environmental and public health concerns. The study offers a novel application of Regulatory Focus Theory to examine the impact of dispositional goal orientations among participants of Mosquito Alert, a transnational initiative tracking invasive disease-carrying mosquitoes. Using mixed-method analysis of survey data and in-platform behavioral metrics, a significant skew towards prevention-focused participants was found. A further discrepancy emerged between self-reported motivations and actual behavior. Notably, heightened dispositional regulatory focus correlated with shorter participation spans. The findings revealed critical gaps between perceived motivations and behavioral outcomes, underscored importance of further integrating psychological constructs into platform design to enable and maintain long-term volunteer participation. The study advances theoretical understanding of volunteer psychology in sustainability contexts offering actionable strategies for improving the efficacy of initiatives.

Community-based household surface sampling: A citizen science approach for recovery of multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales.

Citizen science data reliability enhancing scientific research: insights from an 11-year study in the Mediterranean Sea

Documenting multilingualism through crowdsourcing and citizen science

On the incidental exposure of the general public to invasive forest pests through mainstream media

Evaluating the impact of citizen science programs on environmental awareness and attitudes among secondary school students

• High-resolutiosn microclimate modelling for two urban study areas with ENVI-met • 54 scenarios were designed implementing technical- and nature-based solutions • Intercomparison of climate change adaptation potentials between India and Germany • Significant mean cooling effects of -1.6 K (India) and -2.9 K (Germany) were found • Technical solutions perform better in India, nature-based ones better in Germany Many cities around the world are affected by the urban heat island effect which is expected to intensify in the upcoming decades. The heat mitigation potentials vary largely between cities, depending on the overall climatic and hydrological conditions, urban geometry and structure, as well as societal and cultural differences. Thus, climate change adaptation measures to mitigate the increasing heat exposition of urban dwellers must be implemented specifically to the given local physical and societal conditions. This paper comparatively assesses the cooling potentials of different adaptation pathways for two urban areas with vastly different climate and societal conditions, namely the humid mid-latitude city of Cologne in Germany and the semiarid tropical city of Pune in India, by using the physically-based 3D-gridded high-resolution microclimate model ENVI-met. The model was parameterized based on field measurements and remote sensing data, and validated using quality-controlled, densely-distributed, participatory citizen science microclimate sensor networks within the two study areas. A mean Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient of 0.9 and up to 0.98 for simulated air temperature indicates a high statistical goodness-of-fit of the model to measurements. 54 different climate change adaptation scenarios were investigated by implementing various technical- and nature-based solutions as well as combinations of these. While significant cooling effects for air temperature and physiological equivalent temperature of up to -1.6 K (-2.9 K) were identified for Cologne, cooling effects are smaller in Pune with up to -1.2 K (-1.6 K). For air temperature, technical solutions mostly perform better in Pune, while in Cologne, nature-based solutions usually show a better heat mitigation performance. This can be attributed to limited water availability in India during the hot pre-monsoon period. PET cooling effects are smaller in Pune for nearly all scenarios.

In the face of the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing cost of energy in residential buildings, accurately predicting thermal loads has become crucial for sustainable construction practices. We present the use of artificial neural network (ANN) and convolutional neural network (CNN) models to predict the energy efficiency of residential buildings. The dataset comprises eight input parameters, namely surface area, relative compactness, wall area, overall height, roof area, glazing area, orientation, and glazing area distribution, with two output thermal loads (the heating load (HL) and the cooling load (CL)). Additionally, we split the data, comprising 768 observations, into training (70%), testing (15%), and validation sets (15%). Results based on the Pearson correlation matrix indicated that all input variables exhibit a positive correlation with the thermal loads, except the surface and roof areas of the building. In addition, the feature importance and Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) analysis demonstrated that building geometry parameters, such as relative compactness, wall, surface, and glazing areas, dominate thermal load predictions. Furthermore, the ANN models showed high performance, with R 2 values ranging from 0.9618 to 0.9783 for HL and CL. However, the CNN models significantly outperformed ANN models. When comparing training, testing, and validation, CNN models achieve exceptional R 2 values exceeding 0.99 for all dataset splits, even in the presence of outliers. K-fold cross-validation analysis demonstrated the outstanding reliability of the CNN models, with coefficient of variation (CV) values of 0.26% for HL and 0.65% for CL, suitable for engineering applications and real-world deployment. However, the ablation study results identified the non-regularized CNN configuration as optimal for production deployment, having low gap metric values between training and validation HL (−0.0001) and CL (0.0040) models. Beyond technical achievement, this research demonstrates that building energy prediction serves as a tool for advancing household energy consumption. Community engagement and five ethical considerations are proposed for citizen science programs and scientific education initiatives focused on sustainable energy consumption. • CNN models outperform ANN models for predicting heating and cooling loads in residential buildings. • SHAP analysis shows relative compactness, wall area, and glazing area are key thermal load predictors. • K-fold cross-validation confirms the CNN model's reliability, with coefficient of variation values below 1%. • Ablation study selects non-regularized CNN configuration as optimal for production deployment. • Ethical considerations guidelines are proposed for citizen science in building energy research.

Assessing temporal and spatial variation in the diet of the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) using web-sourced photography

Microsporidia are a diverse group of fungal parasites that infect humans and agriculturally important animals. Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful host for investigating microsporidian biology, yet how ecological factors such as geography, seasonality, temporality, and sample substrate impact infection of C. elegans and other nematodes remains unclear. To address this, we developed a citizen scientist network, Worms About Town, to annually survey wild nematodes for microsporidia across Toronto, Canada. Here, we describe results from the first year (2024) of the project. 127 environmental samples from various plant substrates were collected, 60 of which contained wild nematodes, and four were infected with microsporidia. Two isolates of Nematocida homosporus, a known generalist microsporidian of nematodes, were identified. The other two microsporidia isolates belong to undescribed species of Pancytospora and Enteropsectra, genera distantly related to human-infecting microsporidia. Three nematode isolates of the Caenorhabditis genus were discovered, including two isolates of Caenorhabditis elegans, a species not previously reported in Ontario. Both N. homosporus isolates were found in C. elegans, and one can infect a laboratory strain of C. elegans. Our study expands knowledge of natural nematode-microsporidia diversity and provides a framework for systematically investigating how ecological factors shape this host-parasite system.

ABSTRACTDespite their significance in ecosystems, the decline of common species receives little attention in conservation. Identifying the underlying drivers of common species declines is necessary to mitigate further biodiversity loss. Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in Europe are emblematic of a once common species that is presumedly undergoing widespread declines. We aim to quantify population trends of Common Toad in Flanders and assess to which extent population trends depend on general landscape variables (land use identity, structure and change). Using standardised time series obtained from citizen science and spanning over four decades, we used an end‐begin contrast to get a trend value for 234 populations. Next, we developed a testing strategy to find associations between these trend values and the surrounding landscape. Across the study region, 40% of the populations have declined significantly, while only 10% show an increase. Declines were not associated with landscape characteristics in our study area, which is one of the most fragmented regions in Europe. We discuss how the research region, spatial and temporal resolution, as well as the generalist nature of the species, may explain these findings. Our study suggests limited effects of general landscape characteristics on the decline of Common Toad populations, indicating that other major drivers are likely responsible.

Latin American cities are transforming in response to climate change, yet residents' liveability experiences before these transformations begin are rarely documented. In Bogotá, the 2022-2035 Land Use Master Plan's Green Corridors aim to promote sustainable mobility and integrate green infrastructure in urban design, with the first corridor planned along 7th Street. This study provides a baseline evaluation of liveability conditions along 7th Street before construction, aiming to (i) identify perceptions of social and built environment factors that facilitate or hinder liveability and (ii) document potential solutions to identified barriers. We employed a multi-method approach. A cross-sectional household survey described residents' sociodemographic profile and perceptions of the Green Corridor's expected effects on liveability. The Our Voice citizen science method engaged residents and commuters in identifying perceived facilitators and barriers, proposing potential solutions, and exchanging knowledge with policymakers. Residents' most expected improvements included increased vegetation, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and public space upgrades, while the most anticipated deteriorations included difficulty in car use and worsening public transport operations. Through the Our Voice method, 66 citizen scientists captured 1123 photo-narratives, documenting access to essential services, green areas, and urban trees as the most mentioned facilitators, while poor pedestrian infrastructure and safety concerns as the most mentioned barriers. Proposed solutions included infrastructure improvements, educational campaigns, and evidence-based policymaking. The process increased environmental awareness among citizen scientists and supported knowledge exchange with policymakers. This study underscores the importance of grounding climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in baseline assessments of urban residents' liveability experiences. Built environment factors were widely valued as facilitators, while social environment factors emerged as persistent barriers, a pattern that the Our Voice method deepened by revealing the conditions that underpin these perceptions. The participatory process generated practical solutions, deepened citizen scientists' awareness of their surroundings, and enabled meaningful engagement with policymakers. As cities pursue climate goals, these findings offer a foundation for understanding and evaluating the effects of a Green Corridor on residents' everyday liveability as the intervention unfolds.

BackgroundMosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) pose substantial global health and economic burdens. Although conventional MBDs surveillance systems remain essential, they are often resource-intensive, uneven in coverage, and often insufficiently responsive to spatio-temporal variations in mosquito presence and risk. Citizen science, increasingly enabled by mobile and digital technologies, offers a scalable complement to expand surveillance reach and timeliness. However, existing reviews have not comprehensively integrated evidence across diverse dimensions of citizen science applied to MBDs surveillance and control.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1, 2000, to October 17, 2025, to identify peer-reviewed studies examining citizen science applications in MBDs surveillance and control. Data were extracted and synthesized on study characteristics, participation objectives, recruitment strategies, citizen-generated data and technologies, validation mechanisms, effort-bias handling, analytical approaches, public health outputs, reported biases and methodological limitations, and ethical and governance practices.ResultsOf 3,734 records identified, 61 studies met inclusion criteria, with most published after 2017 (93.4%). Studies were conducted in Europe (44.3%) and the Americas (21.3%), with minimal representation from Asia (3.3%). Malaria-related surveillance was most common (23.0%), followed by dengue (13.1%), with other mosquito-borne diseases examined only sporadically, including West Nile virus (4.9%), Usutu virus (1.6%), La Crosse virus (1.6%), and California serogroup viruses (1.6%). Most studies were conducted in urban settings (47.5%), followed by mixed urban–rural contexts (36.1%), with relatively few exclusively in rural areas (18.0%). Mosquito Alert was the most frequently reported platform (23.0%), followed by GLOBE Observer (13.1%) and iNaturalist (11.5%). Commonly reported outputs included trend analyses (52.5%), risk-factor identification (44.3%), spatial predictions (42.6%), hotspot mapping (19.7%), and risk modeling (16.4%). Reporting of ethical and governance practices was inconsistent across studies.ConclusionsThe growing body of evidence indicates that citizen science can enhance mosquito surveillance, particularly for monitoring invasive species and spatio-temporal trends. Nevertheless, gaps in methodological rigor, representativeness, and ethical transparency limit its broader operational use.

While citizen science (CS) has gained global reputation as a valuable participatory research methodology, over the last decade its demarcation is still somewhat controversial. Attempts to reach a precise definition of CS have resulted in several sets of criteria, principles and minimum requirements without universal normative power. In search of a transparent and just selection process, platforms offering access to CS projects started to define their own selection criteria. In 2017, the Austrian CS community co-created a set of 20 quality criteria to define minimum requirements for CS projects to be listed on the national platform Österreich forscht. After more than five years of applying the criteria, we reflect on the implications for CS projects in Austria. Our mixed method approach of qualitative and quantitative analysis across 103 projects shows no disadvantage for specific research domains or types of institution, but certain challenges for project coordinators to apply all criteria to their projects. The analysis suggests an overall improvement of projects, especially in regard to their ‘citizen scientificity’, meaning that the criteria helped them to better distinguish themselves from other scientific methods, improving their engagement, communication and open data management.

Most incoming college students have little awareness of materials science and engineering (MSE) as a discipline, resulting in barriers to entry for a field central to modern technology. To address this gap, we designed a short course curriculum that introduced high school students to MSE concepts through accessible, hands-on, and computationally driven activities framed in the context of chocolate science. The curriculum, rooted in the Context-Based Learning framework, aimed to build scientific literacy and present an engineering perspective by linking everyday observations to the underlying materials science tetrahedron of "structure, process, properties, and performance" relationships. Students engaged in low-cost activities that explicitly connected to advanced laboratory techniques, such as differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy, introducing them to tools that produce research-quality data but rely on the same principles. Computational modules introducing Python for modeling, quantitative analysis, and data visualization showed how computational skills can aid broader research efforts and enabled students to produce publication-quality figures and investigate hypotheses. This integrated experimental-computational approach with the chocolate theme lowered barriers to MSE, increased awareness of the field, and empowered students to become citizen scientists.

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) are a global biodiversity threat impacting most terrestrial vertebrates and posing scientific, economic and conservation challenges. Research on WVC is nevertheless geographically uneven, and large-scale multi-taxon studies are scarce. We analysed data from the Polish Roadkill Observation System, a nationwide volunteer-based programme recording WVC carcasses across all terrestrial vertebrates. Based on 28,709 casualties recorded during 2000-2022, we examined the mortality patterns in vertebrate classes and some correlates of WVCs distribution. In total, 205 species were identified, representing 55% of Poland's terrestrial vertebrate fauna, including 16% of threatened species. The approximate proportion of roadkilled mammals, amphibians, birds and reptiles was 8:8:5:1; mammals and amphibians are thus the most frequently reported vertebrates on Polish roads by citizen scientists. Reports of multiple casualties concerned mostly amphibians and reptiles, and were often associated with protected areas. Regression models revealed that observed roadkill was positively correlated with body mass and carcass persistence but not with species distribution range in Poland. Prominent seasonal patterns were also evident, with peak mortality occurring in warm seasons and coinciding with taxon-specific phenological events. Our study demonstrates the value of citizen-science data for identifying nationwide patterns of WVCs, while also highlighting the need to move beyond opportunistic observations toward a nationally coordinated, systematic survey to generate more accurate and policy-relevant estimates.

Trends and developments in marine debris studies: A bibliometric review over two decades (2004-2024).

Moths (Lepidoptera) are sensitive to anthropogenic threats and serve as valuable bioindicators. Despite the remarkable diversity and abundance of Lepidoptera globally, there is a lack of information on how moth species are impacted by urbanization. Notably, very little is known about moths in the most populus city of the United States, New York City, where pervasive urban pollutants, artificial light at night, land cover change, and habitat fragmentation are severe. We examined the effects of urbanization on moth biodiversity in New York City, with a focus on green spaces. We used citizen science records from iNaturalist and complemented these data with ground sampling at twelve locations across six parks at night. While the iNaturalist dataset is comprehensive both spatially and temporally, it failed to detect some species we observed on the ground. However, the scope of the field survey dataset is limited in geographical breadth and seasonal coverage. Overall, we found a negative relationship between greater urbanization and moth diversity, with community similarity related to environmental similarity. Our results found greater biodiversity with less light at night and less urban development, and more deciduous tree cover and more open land. Our structural equation model reveals additional insight: although we detected a strong direct negative effect of developed land on moth diversity, urbanization also negatively impacts diversity via indirect effects of reducing open space and deciduous tree cover. Developed open space alone does not directly affect diversity but may positively impact diversity through its covariance with vegetation cover. These findings support the importance of mitigating artificial light at night in urban green spaces and maintaining urban vegetation to ensure nocturnal Lepidoptera can persist in rapidly urbanizing landscapes.

ABSTRACTThe Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja), one of the largest and most powerful raptors in the world, inhabits tropical forests of the Americas and is currently threatened with extinction throughout its range. In this study, we analyzed occurrence records of the species over a 50‐year period in the largest remaining portion of Tabuleiro Forest within the Atlantic Forest biome, in southeastern Brazil, one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world. We compiled 88 records, including 44 adults, eight pairs, eight juveniles, 19 individuals of undetermined age class, and nine nests. Additionally, we documented at least 73 historical and recent records from surrounding areas. The records were contributed by researchers, reserve staff, birdwatchers, and local residents, underscoring the role of citizen science in monitoring. Among the recorded individuals, one adult and one juvenile were shot, two juveniles died from electrocution, and one adult was roadkilled, revealing persistent human–wildlife conflict. This study highlights the contributions of local communities to species monitoring and the urgent need to mitigate anthropogenic threats. Promoting coexistence through public engagement and conservation strategies is essential to ensure the long‐term survival of the Harpy Eagle in its last reproductive refuges within the Atlantic Forest.