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Citizen science, powered by modern technology, has the potential to play a crucial role in protecting Australia’s threatened species. New research highlights how citizen science data can influence government and conservation organisation decisions about species at risk of extinction. However, to fully harness this potential, citizen scientists need more structured guidance in data collection to ensure their contributions are effectively utilized in conservation efforts.
Australia stands out as a significant contributor to global citizen science, with over 100,000 active citizen scientists. Despite its relatively small population, Australia ranks third in contributions to the global citizen science platform iNaturalist. These volunteers, although not professional scientists are instrumental in biodiversity monitoring. They record sightings, conduct landscape surveys, and collect various samples, all of which can provide critical data for assessing species’ extinction risks.
Extinction risk assessments are essential tools for determining how threatened a species is and for shaping conservation strategies. Yet, the research shows that the data collected by citizen scientists often falls short of the specific requirements needed for these assessments, as defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The study identifies five key types of data collected by citizen scientists: records of species occurrences at specific locations (including images or sound recordings with date and time), evidence of species absence, responses to structured questions about species and their environment, physical samples (such as scat, soil, or water), and collected stories or oral histories, including those from First Nations people.
While this data is invaluable, it often lacks the detailed information needed for accurate extinction risk assessments. For instance, beyond merely recording a species’ presence at a given location, assessments require comprehensive data on geographic range and evidence of population decline.
To bridge this gap, the research suggests that conservation projects should be designed from the outset with specific data needs in mind. By using technology to guide citizen scientists in collecting structured ecological data and specific samples, their contributions can be made more relevant to extinction risk assessments.
Additionally, integrating citizen science data with that collected by professional scientists can improve its utility. New methods of data analysis, such as techniques for extracting population numbers, are also enhancing the effectiveness of citizen science in conservation efforts.
The success of projects like Fungimap and FrogID in Australia illustrates the impact of well-structured citizen science initiatives. Fungimap, which involves the recording and mapping of fungi through iNaturalist, has enabled threat assessments for at least 13 species. By incorporating additional information in the data collection process, such as habitat details and the substrate the fungus is growing on, the data becomes more useful for assessing whether a species is threatened.
Similarly, FrogID, a smartphone app that allows users to record frog calls, has collected over one million frog records in about six years. This data has been instrumental in understanding frog persistence after the devastating 2019–20 bushfires in southeast Australia, leading to the listing of several species, including the sphagnum frog, as threatened.
In both projects, professional scientists play a crucial role in verifying the accuracy of the data collected by citizen scientists. This verification process ensures that the data is reliable and more likely to be included in government databases, which are critical for conservation planning.
By directing citizen scientists on what specific information is needed to assess a species’ extinction risk, these projects demonstrate how technology and structured guidance can transform citizen science into a powerful tool for conservation.
In conclusion, while citizen science has already contributed significantly to conservation efforts, its impact could be even greater with more structured guidance and technological integration. By focusing on collecting the right data and enhancing collaboration between citizen- and professional scientists, Australia can better protect its threatened species and contribute more effectively to global biodiversity conservation.
