Why Citizen Science Is On The Rise

Article by Indrabati Lahiri: “Citizen science is rising globally, driven by technology and public participation in research. Volunteers help professional scientists gather critical data across vast geographic areas and timeframes. In tourism, guests at resorts participate in coral planting, wildlife tracking, and environmental DNA collection. Crowdsourced data also tracks climate change, monitors watersheds, and supports disaster preparedness. However, challenges remain regarding data quality, reliability, structural biases, and institutional hesitation. Ultimately, combining volunteer participation with professional expertise helps address data gaps in environmental research…(More)”.