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Engaging Volunteers as Experts in Data-Driven Research Projects and a Circular Economy: The Case of PlastOPol
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This paper describes PlastOPol, a citizen science project that trained volunteers to collect and analyze data on beached plastic litter using digital tools. The project found that engaging volunteers as genuine data contributors — not just collectors — improved both data quality and community investment in addressing plastic pollution.
Abstract Beached plastic litter is a global concern and is also an important source of data for research to improve our understanding of the extent and the main sources of the problem. Digital tools can help both in making the data registration process easier for citizen scientists and in processing the information and displaying it visually to decision makers. However, we argue that it is also vital to include the local ecological knowledge of both volunteers and semi-professional beach-cleaners. In this chapter, we summarise the main challenges in modelling plastic behaviour in the seas together with some of the best tools available to date. We then highlight how volunteers can contribute to testing and refining the tools. We exemplify this point through the case of the PlastOPol project and derive implications for mitigation and prevention measures.
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Citizen Science in Plastic Remediation: Strategies, Applications, and Technologies for Community Engagement
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This systematic review summarizes how citizen science — everyday people collecting data and participating in cleanup efforts — is being used to fight plastic pollution. It finds that community involvement produces valuable large-scale data on microplastic distribution and helps drive local policy changes.
The PlastOPol system for marine litter monitoring by citizen scientists
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Researchers assessed microplastic ingestion by freshwater mussels deployed as sentinel organisms at multiple river sites, finding particle accumulation that reflected local contamination levels. Transplanted mussels at polluted sites accumulated significantly more particles than those at clean reference sites within a six-week exposure period, validating their utility as biomonitors.
Citizen Science, Communication, and Expertise: An Examination of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Plastics Project
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A citizen science project in Puget Sound trained volunteers to collect and sort beach sand samples for microplastics, finding that participants gained educational benefits and began educating others — demonstrating the dual value of citizen science for both data collection and environmental awareness.
The sampling and analysis of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic: Development of a citizen science approach
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This study designed, developed, and tested a citizen science approach to microplastic and mesoplastic data collection on coastal beaches to address scale and coverage limitations of traditional research methods. Results showed non-expert participants could collect comparable data to researchers, expanding monitoring capacity across undersampled coastlines.
Citizen Science for Monitoring Plastic Pollution from Source to Sea: A Systematic Review of Methodologies, Best Practices, and Challenges
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This systematic review examines how citizen science programs track plastic pollution from land to sea. The research found that while public participation greatly expands data collection, inconsistent methods and data quality issues limit the scientific usefulness of the results. Better-designed citizen science programs could help communities monitor and respond to the microplastic pollution in their local environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.