Kohler Johanna, Gore Mauvis, Ormond Rupert, Austin Timothy, Olynik Jeremy
Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
Centre for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2025 May 9;20(5):e0319637. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319637. eCollection 2025.
The use of citizen science can be a cost-effective tool in conservation science but mostly relies on the collation of incidental sighting reports. This study describes the design, operation, and findings of a novel, closely-guided citizen science program (the 'Sharklogger Network') in the Cayman Islands. Participants from the recreational SCUBA diving community used a standardized, effort-based protocol to monitor local coastal shark populations. Over two years (2017-2018) a total of 69 participants conducted 24,442 dives across 472 dives sites and recorded 4,666 shark sightings from eight shark species, of which Caribbean reef shark, nurse shark, and hammerhead spp. were the most frequently observed and encountered throughout the year. The data from dive logs provided evidence for species-specific distribution and abundance patterns across and within islands, indicating a greater abundance of sharks in areas with less anthropogenic activity and with a greater exposure to strong currents, regardless of whether the area was an MPA or not. While both Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks showed species-specific depth and habitat preferences, the recording of recognizable individuals showed that some individuals of both species have relatively small home ranges and high site-fidelity to specific areas. The study also provided the first confirmation of reproductive behaviour in both Caribbean reef and nurse sharks taking place in summer (May-August). Experience showed that along with generating valuable data the program, by engaging local stakeholders, also enhanced public awareness of shark conservation issues. This study demonstrates that this citizen science methodology can be an affordable and non-invasive tool for the reliable long-term monitoring of shark populations.
公民科学的应用在保护科学中可以成为一种具有成本效益的工具，但主要依赖于对偶然目击报告的整理。本研究描述了开曼群岛一个新颖的、密切指导的公民科学项目（“鲨鱼记录者网络”）的设计、运作和研究结果。来自休闲水肺潜水社区的参与者使用标准化的、基于努力程度的方案来监测当地沿海鲨鱼种群。在两年时间（2017 - 2018年）里，共有69名参与者在472个潜水地点进行了24442次潜水，并记录了来自8种鲨鱼的4666次目击事件，其中加勒比礁鲨、护士鲨和双髻鲨属全年观察和遇见的频率最高。潜水日志的数据为各岛屿之间和岛屿内部特定物种的分布和丰度模式提供了证据，表明在人为活动较少且受强水流影响较大的区域，鲨鱼数量更多，无论该区域是否为海洋保护区。虽然加勒比礁鲨和护士鲨都表现出特定物种的深度和栖息地偏好，但可识别个体的记录显示，这两个物种的一些个体的活动范围相对较小，并且对特定区域具有较高的地点忠诚度。该研究还首次证实了加勒比礁鲨和护士鲨的繁殖行为都发生在夏季（5月至8月）。经验表明，该项目在生成有价值数据的同时，通过让当地利益相关者参与，还提高了公众对鲨鱼保护问题的认识。这项研究表明，这种公民科学方法可以成为一种经济实惠且非侵入性的工具，用于可靠地长期监测鲨鱼种群。
