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Published on: November 5, 2014
Seafarer citizen scientist ocean transparency data as a resource for phytoplankton and climate research
Secchi Disk Seafarers1, Samantha Lavender2, Gregory Beaugrand3
1Secchi Disk Seafarers, Citizen scientist participants in the Secchi Disk study, The oceans.
Abstract:
The oceans' phytoplankton that underpin the marine food chain appear to be changing in abundance due to global climate change. Here, we compare the first four years of data from a citizen science ocean transparency study, conducted by seafarers using home-made Secchi Disks and a free Smartphone application called Secchi, with contemporaneous satellite ocean colour measurements. Our results show seafarers collect useful Secchi Disk measurements of ocean transparency that could help future assessments of climate-induced changes in the phytoplankton when used to extend historical Secchi Disk data.
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