2026-06-17T21:13:14Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/73462023-03-22T10:38:53Zcom_10259_4219com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259_4220

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Marambio, Macarena author Canepa Oneto, Antonio Jesús author Lòpez, Laura author Gauci, Aldo Adam author Gueroun, Sonia K. M. author Zampardi, Serena author Boero, Fernandino author Kéfi- Daly Yahia, Ons author Nejib Daly Yahia, Mohamed author Fuentes, Verónica author Piraino, Stefano author Deidun, Alan author 2021-06 Science is addressing global societal challenges, and due to limitations in research financing, scientists are turning to the public at large to jointly tackle specific environmental issues. Citizens are therefore increasingly involved in monitoring programs, appointed as citizen scientists with potential to delivering key data at near to no cost to address environmental challenges, therein fostering scientific knowledge and advising policy- and decision-makers. One of the first and most successful examples of marine citizen science in the Mediterranean is represented by the integrative and collaborative implementation of several jellyfish-spotting campaigns in Italy, Spain, Malta, and Tunisia starting in 2009. Altogether, in terms of time coverage, geographic extent, and number of citizen records, these represent the most effective marine citizen science campaigns thus far implemented in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we analyzed a collective database merging records over the above four countries, featuring more than 100,000 records containing almost 25,000 observations of jellyfish specimens collected over a period of 3 to 7 years (from 2009 to 2015) by citizen scientists participating in any of the national citizen science programs included in this analysis. Such a wide citizen science exercise demonstrates a valuable and cost-effective tool to understanding ecological drivers of jellyfish proliferation over the Western and Central Mediterranean basins, as well as a powerful contribution to developing tailored adaptation and management strategies; mitigating jellyfish impacts on human activities in coastal zones; and supporting implementation of marine spatial planning, Blue Growth, and conservation strategies. http://hdl.handle.net/10259/7346 10.3390/d13060274 1424-2818 Gelatinous zooplankton Scyphozoa Forecasting system Mitigation tool Coastal zone management Pelagia noctiluca Rhizostoma pulmo Unfolding Jellyfish Bloom Dynamics along the Mediterranean Basin by Transnational Citizen Science Initiatives