Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Citizen Science for Assessment of Microplastics on Beaches: A Case Study in Mexico

Researchers used a citizen science approach involving 26 volunteers to assess microplastic abundance and type on Mexican beaches, providing broad geographic coverage at lower cost than traditional monitoring. Participants used standardized materials and training to collect and identify microplastics, generating a representative database that also raised public awareness of coastal plastic pollution.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

The potential contribution of citizen science data in the study of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distributions

Researchers analyzed citizen science data from the Big Microplastic Survey to assess the potential contribution of volunteer-collected observations to understanding coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distribution patterns, evaluating data quality and spatial coverage relative to conventional scientific monitoring.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

The sampling and analysis of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic: Development of a citizen science approach

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.

2024 Journal of Coastal Conservation 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and composition on two Galápagos island beaches, Ecuador: Verifying the use of citizen science derived data in long-term monitoring

Researchers validated a citizen science methodology for monitoring visible microplastic contamination on Galapagos island beaches using standardized quadrat sampling, comparing citizen-generated data with expert surveys over multiple years. The approach was found to produce reliable data for long-term monitoring while reducing costs, supporting its use in logistically challenging remote locations.

2022 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences

This review describes how citizen science, where non-professional volunteers help collect data, is being applied in environmental and ecological research. Citizen science projects have contributed to monitoring pollution, biodiversity, and water quality across large geographic areas. The approach is relevant to microplastic research because trained volunteers can help sample and catalog microplastic contamination across many locations that professional scientists cannot cover alone.

2022 Nature Reviews Methods Primers 426 citations
Article Tier 2

Volunteer microplastic sampling in Puget Sound: strategies for broad inclusion, education, and research

This paper describes a volunteer microplastic sampling program in Puget Sound, Washington, examining strategies for community participation and data quality in citizen science monitoring of marine plastic pollution. The program demonstrates how broad public involvement can generate spatially extensive environmental data at low cost.

2018 Western CEDAR (Western Washington University)
Article Tier 2

Coastal Biodiversity Assessment Aided by Citizen Science Volunteers: A Look at the Italian Central Adriatic

This paper is not relevant to microplastics — it describes a citizen science program to monitor coastal biodiversity in Italy's central Adriatic Sea, assessing habitats and species covered under the EU Habitats Directive.

2023 Land 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Paddle surfing for science on microplastic pollution: a successful citizen science initiative

Researchers used paddle surfers as citizen scientists to collect microplastic samples from near-shore coastal waters in the Mediterranean Sea, filling a gap in data from areas close to the coastline. The study demonstrates how citizen science can expand microplastic monitoring to locations that are difficult to access with conventional research vessels.

2021 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Students’ attitudes towards the environment and marine litter in the context of a coastal water quality educational citizen science project

Middle school students who participated in a citizen science project monitoring coastal water quality and microplastic pollution showed significantly more positive environmental attitudes afterward compared to a control group. The study suggests that hands-on engagement with real microplastic research can be an effective way to build environmental awareness in young people.

2023 Australian Journal of Environmental Education 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Using citizen science to understand floating plastic debris distribution and abundance: A case study from the North Cornish coast (United Kingdom).

This citizen science study used a standardized methodology to monitor floating plastic debris off the Cornish coast of the UK, finding microplastic concentrations comparable to or higher than other European coastal regions. The study demonstrates that citizen science can generate useful, standardized data on plastic pollution in coastal waters.

2023 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Citizen-Science for the Future: Advisory Case Studies From Around the Globe

This paper presents case studies of citizen science projects contributing ocean observation data, showing that non-professional volunteers can meaningfully supplement scientific monitoring. Citizen science approaches are increasingly used to monitor microplastic pollution across coastlines and waterways globally.

2019 Frontiers in Marine Science 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Making citizen science count: Best practices and challenges of citizen science projects on plastics in aquatic environments

This paper reviews best practices and challenges for citizen science projects focused on plastic pollution in aquatic environments, finding that while citizen science can effectively gather large-scale data and raise public awareness, data quality and consistency remain significant challenges.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution Projects and Participatory Science

This paper discusses citizen science and participatory science projects for monitoring microplastic pollution, reviewing methodological approaches, data quality considerations, and the potential for large-scale pollution mapping through public engagement.

2024
Article Tier 2

Effect of community participation on sustainable development: an assessment of sustainability domains in Malaysia

This paper is not relevant to microplastics — it investigates how community participation in coral reef conservation programs affects sustainable development outcomes in Malaysia.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

Researchers reported on the psychological outcomes for participants in a citizen science project studying household microplastic sources, finding that engagement with microplastic research increased environmental awareness and motivated behavior change around plastic use.

2025
Article Tier 2

Accuracy of a Simple Microplastics Investigation Method on Sandy Beaches

This study tested a simplified citizen science method for monitoring microplastic pollution on sandy beaches, evaluating its accuracy compared to standard research methods. Reliable citizen science approaches could dramatically expand the geographic coverage of microplastic monitoring beyond what professional researchers alone can achieve.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Determining global distribution of microplastics by combining citizen science and in-depth case studies

This study combined citizen science sampling data with in-depth field studies to build a better global picture of microplastic distribution. The approach shows how large-scale volunteer monitoring can extend spatial coverage far beyond what professional researchers can achieve alone.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Pelatihan Pengumpulan Sampah Laut Kepada Pengunjung Pantai Pangandaran

This Indonesian study trained beach visitors at Pangandaran to collect and sort marine debris as part of continuous coastal waste monitoring. Citizen participation in marine litter monitoring is an important tool for tracking and reducing microplastic pollution in popular coastal areas.

2021 Farmers Journal of Community Services 7 citations
Article Tier 2

The Contribution of Citizen Scientists to the Monitoring of Marine Litter

Researchers compared 40 citizen science marine litter monitoring studies with 40 professional science studies, finding that citizen science projects have mainly focused on beach surveys and successfully generated large-scale distribution data, while professional studies have contributed more to composition analysis and ecological impact assessment. The review highlights the complementary strengths of both approaches and the value of citizen participation in long-term litter monitoring.

2015 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing Citizen Science for Coastal and Ocean Research

This position paper promotes citizen science as a powerful tool for marine research, especially for the large-scale data collection needed to monitor ocean pollution including microplastics. Citizen science programs have already contributed significant data on plastic debris distribution in coastal and offshore waters.

2019 40 citations