Citizen Science and the Marine Environment
From 1977 to 1984 Bob co-ordinated and helped develop a major programme of citizen science for divers which lead to the formation of the Marine Conservation Society in 1983-84.
Since 2023 he has begun to review the development and future of marine citizen science in the UK with the help of the Porcupine Natural History Society (PMNHS).
Bob began his interests in citizen science with a project launched in 1977 for Underwater Conservation Year (UCY) called the Species Recording Scheme; he did this in partnership with David Erwin of the Ulster Museum. This project asked sports divers to submit their observations on 70 species listed on a recording card. This was the most successful project in UCY. In 1978 Bob became the co-ordinator of the follow on from UCY called the Underwater Conservation Programme, which morphed into the Underwater Conservation Society in 1979. The conferences of UCS from 1979 onward lead to the 1983-1984 formation of the Marine Conservation Society which still organises many citizen science projects. During this period Bob co-ordinated an extensive programme of projects for divers covering general observations, the species recording scheme, habitat recording, sea slugs and the sea urchin Echinus, expeditions, marine life identification courses and the development of photographic guides (mini-prints) for seven groups of UK marine life. This work provided the basis for later work on dogwhelks in relation to TBT pollution and the ongoing Basking Shark Watch. Bob was the first MCS co-ordinator of the Seasearch project which is still continuing.
In 2023 Bob began an initiative with the Porcupine Marine Natural History Society to describe the history of marine citizen science in the UK since its outset (see PDF below). This first paper set out the ideas behind this project not least in helping to frame how future developments in marine citizen science could develop. Seven major themes for further articles were also highlighted. A second paper in this series outlined the importance of marine citizen science inputs across severn natural systems themes being reported by the South-West Marine Ecosystem project (see PDF below).
If you would like to know more about the Porcupine initiative on marine natural history and citizen science in the UK please contact Bob bob@bobearll.co.uk
From 1977 to 1984 Bob co-ordinated and helped develop a major programme of citizen science for divers which lead to the formation of the Marine Conservation Society in 1983-84.
Since 2023 he has begun to review the development and future of marine citizen science in the UK with the help of the Porcupine Natural History Society (PMNHS).
Bob began his interests in citizen science with a project launched in 1977 for Underwater Conservation Year (UCY) called the Species Recording Scheme; he did this in partnership with David Erwin of the Ulster Museum. This project asked sports divers to submit their observations on 70 species listed on a recording card. This was the most successful project in UCY. In 1978 Bob became the co-ordinator of the follow on from UCY called the Underwater Conservation Programme, which morphed into the Underwater Conservation Society in 1979. The conferences of UCS from 1979 onward lead to the 1983-1984 formation of the Marine Conservation Society which still organises many citizen science projects. During this period Bob co-ordinated an extensive programme of projects for divers covering general observations, the species recording scheme, habitat recording, sea slugs and the sea urchin Echinus, expeditions, marine life identification courses and the development of photographic guides (mini-prints) for seven groups of UK marine life. This work provided the basis for later work on dogwhelks in relation to TBT pollution and the ongoing Basking Shark Watch. Bob was the first MCS co-ordinator of the Seasearch project which is still continuing.
In 2023 Bob began an initiative with the Porcupine Marine Natural History Society to describe the history of marine citizen science in the UK since its outset (see PDF below). This first paper set out the ideas behind this project not least in helping to frame how future developments in marine citizen science could develop. Seven major themes for further articles were also highlighted. A second paper in this series outlined the importance of marine citizen science inputs across severn natural systems themes being reported by the South-West Marine Ecosystem project (see PDF below).
If you would like to know more about the Porcupine initiative on marine natural history and citizen science in the UK please contact Bob bob@bobearll.co.uk