Citizen science programs are growing around the world in number, diversity, and prominence, and they are arguably now accepted as a mainstream scientic methodology (Dickinson et al., 2012; Silvertown, 2009). Modern citizen science programs range from observation-based programs, such as recording local sightings of specic species or

phenomena, to global efforts to collect “big data,” such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program Global Learning and Observations to Benet the Environment (GLOBE), where citizen scientists from around the world use a smartphone app to photograph clouds and record data on mosquitoes. In the elds of biology and ecology, citizen scientists are collecting data on changes in species distributions, pollution, invasive species, threatened species, disease, phenology, biodiversity, habitats, and landscapes and are making tangible conservation contributions

CONTENTS

16.1 An Introduction to Citizen Science ............................................................................................................................ 299 16.1.1 Citizen Science Present and Past .................................................................................................................... 299 16.1.2 Describing Citizen Science ............................................................................................................................. 300 16.1.3 Potential Benets of Citizen Science ...............................................................................................................301

16.2 Citizen Science in Action ........................................................................................................................................... 302 16.2.1 Scope, Scale, and Diversity of Citizen Science Projects ................................................................................ 302 16.2.2 Citizen Science with Sharks and Rays ............................................................................................................ 303 16.2.3 Technological Advances and Citizen Science ................................................................................................ 304

16.3 Making Citizen Science Work .................................................................................................................................... 306 16.3.1 Special Considerations for Using Citizen Science .......................................................................................... 306 16.3.2 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................................................... 307 16.3.3 Special Considerations for Shark and Ray Citizen Science Projects ............................................................. 308 16.3.4 Common Pitfalls in Citizen Science Projects ................................................................................................. 308 16.3.5 Importance of Quality Assurance and Quality Control ................................................................................. 309

16.4 Designing Citizen Science Projects for Shark and Ray Research ...............................................................................312 16.4.1 Scoping and Planning ......................................................................................................................................313 16.4.2 Project Implementation ....................................................................................................................................313 16.4.3 Working with Communities ............................................................................................................................313