The Importance of Community Scientists

Community science is essentially science for everyone. Specifically, community science is when the public voluntarily helps conduct scientific research, including designing experiments, collecting data, analyzing results, and solving problems. Community scientists are doing some great work across the country, including the state of Hawai'i.

As Catherine Toth Fox reports, some notable community science projects in Hawai'i have included the state-run Hawaii Ulua and Papio Tagging Project; the annual Kolea Count, run by the Hawaii Audubon Society; and the Sanctuary Ocean Count, which tracks humpback whale migration to the Islands. Currently, University of Hawai'i researchers are asking the public to document extreme water level events, also known as King Tides, this summer starting July 3. The goal of the King Tides Project is to better understand the impacts from sea-level rise and other coastal hazards by looking at these high tides, which will likely be average sea levels in the future.

The King Tides Project started in the summer of 2015, when a few scientists went out with data sheets and took photos of king tides at their favorite coastlines. In the following year, the group recruited the public to assist, offering training workshops to educate volunteers about King Tides and how sea level rise could impact the places they care about. To date, the project has received over 3,800 photos from 484 community scientists on five islands.

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