ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes how several citizen science projects involved fishers and divers along the coast of California working closely with agencies to make sure their data inform management of marine protected areas. It discusses how divers and snorkelers contribute to long-term biodiversity assessments and community and population monitoring at the regional and global spatial scales. The book explains that citizen science data collected with reliable technology and methods is particularly well-positioned to inform conservation policy because marine legislation is increasingly reliant on large data sets across wide spatial and temporal scales. It examines the ways locals in Kenya collaborated on the mangrove citizen science project that potentially impacts their use of mangrove forests. The book offers a model of the way that volunteers participating in eelgrass restoration in Maine integrate scientific data collection throughout the restoration process.