Earlier this summer, on 9–10 July 2025, the Horizon Europe project CS-MACH1 officially set sail. This initiative aims to build a robust marine citizen science data network, enhancing collaboration and data flow among diverse players. From marine citizen science initiatives leaders to data management experts, cost-effective technology providers, and marine researchers, the project will bring together the skills and passion needed to allow for citizens to become valuable data contributors to global ocean science.
Citizen science is a research approach that actively involves the public in various stages of the scientific process: from defining the problem to collecting and analysing data, and interpreting results [1]. Including citizen participation in scientific research not only expands the scope of research but also makes science more accessible, inclusive, and locally relevant [1].
The growth of citizen science has been remarkable. One study highlighted a significant increase in marine citizen science projects from the late 1990s through the 2000s, identifying and analysing over 1,260 initiatives worldwide as of 2023. The European Citizen Science (ECS) platform showcases more than 300 projects in total, among which marine-related projects cover a wide range of topics, from biodiversity monitoring to pollution tracking. Citizen science is no longer a niche activity, it is emerging as an influential force in research.
Take a look at the Map of this week, an outcome of the challenge “Be a Scientist! Mapping Climate Change at Seas & Waterways”, launched by the Education for Climate Coalition and the European Atlas of the Seas in 2022. Schools from different countries became data providers for a new layer in the Atlas, learning how to collect, harmonise, and share ocean data. Some schools measured water temperature directly with thermometers and sent their data to the Atlas Team. Other data came from the Miniboats programme run in collaboration between the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) and Educational Passages. In this programme, schools are building and launching miniboats equipped with temperature sensors. Explore the map by clicking on the symbols to discover the participating schools and groups, along with the temperatures they recorded! It is the first citizen science map in the Atlas!
Projects like this show the potential of citizen science for education and youth engagement. Yet, experts often raise questions about data quality, standardisation, and validation. If data is to inform science and policy, it needs to be reliable, reproducible, standardised and validated. That is where initiatives like CS-MACH1 come in—introducing frameworks and tools to make citizen science data more scientifically robust.
Other examples of strong citizen science–science partnerships include the GOF-EC DG MARE – EMODnet – SSI project, which gathers georeferenced data on temperature and pH from the diving industry and more specifically Scuba Schools International (SSI). Data from thousands of dive computers, mostly ocean physics parameters, are anonymised, centralised, and forwarded to theEuropean Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). Through harmonisation and standardisation processes, the data meet sharing criteria and can be reliably used to inform research and policy.
Wish to get involved? Whether you are a water sports enthusiast, an educator, or simply someone who cares about the ocean, there are many ways to take part.
Explore - Dive into open datasets on data.europa.eu and see how citizen scientists across Europe are helping advance valuable research.
Follow - Track ongoing marine citizen science initiatives via the EU Citizen Science (ECS) platform, or the UN Ocean Decade GenOcean campaign. Discover how the general public is contributing to the production of scientific knowledge.
Join - Does any of these projects attracts you? Why not become part of a local or global project!
Learn about - Discover education initiatives like the Miniboat programme, helping students learn science by doing science.
Through citizen science, everyone is empowered to contribute to ocean sustainability, strengthen resilience, and build a better future.
The data in the map is provided by the European Commission.
[1] https://data.europa.eu/en/news-events/news/empowering-citizens-through-science-role-citizen-science-europe