Citizen Science, Crowdsourcing, and Social Media Advance Our Understanding and Conservation of Inland Waters

Scientists and managers working on inland waters are increasingly recognizing the value of engaging diverse audiences. Rapidly expanding methods for public engagement in inland waters research and conservation include citizen science, crowdsourcing, and the use of social media. The recent growth of these approaches has resulted in an expansion of associated scholarship and informative case studies. In addition to producing an abundance of reliable data, these methods represent cost-effective approaches to increase research scale, public relevance of science, participant knowledge of content and the scientific process, and empower participants to engage in stewardship and decision-making processes.