Citizen Science for the River Thames

A confluence of environmental science, digital technology, political advocacy, and community empowerment. Alternatively: broke: Thames Water // woke: baby cousins // bespoke: citizen scientists.

From Swimming to Sewage

In October 2023, the Museum of Oxford featured a special exhibit on swimming in the River Thames, the chief river of southern England. Along with explanations of the evolution and locations of swimming sites along the Thames, it also featured content by the public. Notably, posters expressed slogans, such as "Birds Not Turds," from protests against sewage in the Thames, and a wall was covered with handwritten notes by museum visitors.

Directed towards Thames Water, a British private utility company responsible for water supply and wastewater treatment, these notes expressed the public's concerns regarding excessive waste and pollution near the River Thames. One such note was rather dramatic, asserting "I hope you can do your job correctly - my baby cousin can protect the river better." 

Although this claim is clearly a form of sarcasm and exaggeration, it does prompt reflection about the role of the public in helping protect the River Thames. After all, as the museum indicated, the Thames River is deeply intertwined with the people of England - from using the river for leisurely activities such as swimming, to protests demanding better governmental regulation. However, one aspect of citizen involvement that is less often considered or appreciated is that of England's citizens' role in promoting scientific understanding and research of the River Thames.

The Concept of Citizen Science

Citizen science can be contextualized as a means for redefining the relationship between citizens and science. According to British sociologist Alan Irwin, who was one of the first to define the term in the mid-1990s, citizen science is based on the notion that science should be responsive to citizens' concerns, and citizens are capable of producing reliable scientific knowledge. More recently, the Oxford English Dictionary has defined citizen science as "scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions” (University College London, 2023).

Keeping Irwin's goals for citizen science, as well as Oxford's formal definition, in mind, it is evident that numerous manifestations of citizen science have emerged. Initiatives include data collection about different bird species in the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, which has been running for 124 years (LeBaron, 2023), field work in sampling local water bodies for quality data (National Geographic, 2023), and data analysis and open source software for investigating clouds on Mars (NASA, 2023). These initiatives are especially distinguished by their free and voluntary nature.

Ultimately, citizen science generates numerous benefits: enabling large-scale, distributed research and action; promoting collaboration and discussion of diverse perspectives; increasing knowledge among citizens of important scientific issues; giving researchers insights about societal concerns affecting different communities; and informing and influencing policymaking, advocacy, and action.

Citizen Science for the River Thames: the United Kingdom's Catchment-Based Approach

Having established a framework for understanding citizen science more broadly, it is now possible to analyze how citizen science manifests in the context of the River Thames. The United Kingdom has prioritized a catchment-based approach for the protection of the River Thames. A river catchment is an area of land where water collects from the higher areas above it (Thames21, 2023). A catchment-based approach embraces the vision that local partnerships between governments, nonprofits, and citizens, collaboration across geographical locations, and "harnessing community support" are crucial to river protection (Catchment Based Approach, 2023). Thus, a number of different organizations across the Thames region have been formed, such as the Canal and River Trust, Thames21, Thames WaterBlitz, the River Restoration Centre, the Thames River Trust, and the Catchment Based Approach. Put together, these initiatives are characterized by unique scientific importance, nuanced processes, and significant societal impact for the River Thames.

The Scientific Importance of Citizen Science

While governmental agencies and research groups conduct their own studies in monitoring and protecting the River Thames, citizen scientists have been found to play a crucial scientific role in "enhancing agency monitoring through gap filling, both spatially and ecologically” (Hammou et. al, 2017).

Notably, the United Kingdom's Environment Agency and FreshWater Watch (FWW), a citizen science project, both conducted nitrate sampling - which is important for testing water quality and safety - across the River Thames catchment between 2013 and 2015. A visual map of the Thames basin divided into hexagonal grids showed that although there were some regions in which citizen science overlapped with governmental efforts, there were at least four regions in which citizens filled a geographical gap in which scientists had not conducted research (Hammou et. al, 2017).

Citizens also filled ecological gaps in terms of the types of water sites they investigated. For example, between 80% and 100% of small still water sites with a size of less than 8 hectares were sampled by the FreshWater Watch, while the Environment Agency sampled nearly 60% of larger still water sites. This trend is likely due to the proximity of smaller sites to citizens' hometowns.

Additionally, citizens sampled over 60% of larger running water sites, such as the Thames, likely due to the Thames having "high cultural value and significance" (Hammou et. al, 2017).

Both trends resulted in substantial differences in research outcomes, with nearly 100% of sites with less than 0.2 mg/L of nitrate being sampled by citizen scientists, while the Environment Agency found nearly 100% of high-nitrate sites (Hammou et. al, 2017).

Thus, while areas of overlap can provide a form of peer-reviewing mechanism while also causing inefficiencies, gap-filling by citizen scientists provides more thorough coverage of research, along with new insights and nuances in findings. Therefore, especially considering limitations to regulatory resources, it is prudent to develop regulatory efforts that are “more targeted to areas that are likely to be underrepresented by citizen scientists," while citizen scientists continue prioritizing areas of geographical access and cultural significance (Hammou et. al, 2017).

The Processes of Citizen Science

While citizen science generally carries benefits of filling gaps and providing new perspectives to scientific issues, the processes by which citizen science takes place are remarkably diverse and intelligently designed. 

Education, Engineering, Expression

A prime example is that of Thames21, which was established in 1994 to serve as a "voice for London's waterways" (Thames21, 2023). With a goal of improving the Thames and its tributaries for both people and wildlife, the organization has engaged 7000 volunteers each year for waterway improvement activities in London. One of its most successful completed projects has been that of Natural Flood Management. Natural flood management seeks to boost the natural landscape's ability to reduce flood risk, soak up pollution, and provide biodiversity. Specifically, these efforts include the use of leaky dams which temporarily store and hold back water, reducing and preventing floods. Citizens contribute to these efforts, particularly for monitoring the effectiveness of leaky dams through multiple steps.

First, citizens spend 2 hours in education, as they "learn the foundation theory behind natural flood management" (Thames21, 2023). Next, they learn about the processes for gaining local permission for "building appropriate natural flood management installations such as woody leaky dams using local materials" and gain experience in how the process of building these dams is conducted (Thames21, 2023). Then, citizens are able to conduct monitoring.

One of the simplest ways of doing so is by visiting designated locations along the Thames containing signs with QR codes, after which they can use the Cartographer app to take pictures of leaky dams.

Additionally, citizens can rely on sophisticated sensing devices, such as "ten Freestation devices with water level sensors" that "can measure water levels and soil moisture" and are connected to the Internet of Things. These resources enable citizens to get involved without out-of-pocket costs for citizens themselves (Thames21, 2020).

Depending on the status of the dams - for example, if the dam has "broken naturally" or is "blocked and not letting water through," citizen scientists can proceed to send a direct email to authorities, such as those in the London Borough of Enfield (Thames21, 2023). This elaborate pipeline of citizen involvement demonstrates that education, mobile technology, established sensors, and communication with authorities all support citizens in contributing to advanced research.

Science Beyond Human Issues

Importantly, citizen science research is not limited to issues such as flooding, which directly affect human safety, and also consists of wildlife protection. For example, the Thames Basin Heaths initiative encourages citizens to use the iRecord Butterflies app to spot Silver-studded Blue, which have been facing an 80% decline due to "loss of habitat, devastating summer wildfires and habitat becoming unsuitable" (Thames Basin Heaths Partnership, 2020). Citizens can simply use the app's "species ID guides" and fill in the time, date, location, photo, and species found. In 2022, citizens found these creatures at over 20 different locations, demonstrating the power and effectiveness of crowdsourcing for finding endangered and rare species, enabling researchers to better target their studies and conservation efforts accordingly (Thames Basin Heaths Partnership, 2020). 

Blending Investigation with Action

Efforts in citizen science can also merge together tangible protection efforts with simultaneous data collection.  For example, the Cleaning the Thames organization hosts litter picks across the Thames, in which citizen scientists can visit the river and clean up litter with gloves and bags (Cleaning the Thames, 2023). Importantly, in addition to cleaning the Thames in real time, these individuals contribute to long-term science. Specifically, citizen scientists fill out online survey forms as they collect litter, indicating the time, location, and the type of litter that was found, improving scientists' and policymakers' understanding of what types of litter are most common or damaging.

Ensuring Safety and Quality

Throughout these efforts, it is natural to question the extent to which citizen science ensures safety of citizen scientists, as well as the quality of research that citizens scientists produce. After all, traditional science places a rigorous emphasis on safety and standards.

One role model for these efforts is the Zoological Society of London, which relied on citizen scientists for monitoring the movement of eels through passes, which restore eel's migratory passes that were lost due to the construction of weirs and sluices (Pecorelli et. al, 2019).

The program provided participating citizens with "a classroom-based health and safety briefing" as well as life jackets. Furthermore, considering the context of citizens working with eels, the society sought to avoid "volunteers handling larger eels, which can easily escape nets and buckets.” Thus, a rule was set that eels larger than >300 mm would have their size recorded, but the eels would be released (Pecorelli et. al, 2019).

Quality control measures were also taken. Notably, citizen data was first "uploaded to a database on a restricted portion of the ZSL website," after which data checking and validation processes would help "ensure data quality is consistent with recommendations" (Pecorelli et. al, 2019). Additionally, the officially trained staff of the society would remain involved in quality checking the data and contacting citizen scientists if necessary for verifying any unusual records.

Lastly, at least two volunteers would be assigned to check a trap on each visit, increasing safety and quality as citizens can provide assistance to each other.

The Societal Impact of Citizen Science

These thoughtful manifestations of citizen science have been proven to tangibly impact society near the River Thames. 

Informing Governments to Drive Legislation

Broadly, citizen science enables "aggregating data across multiple sites, dates, weather conditions, [and] tidal conditions" (McConville et. al, 2019). Data collection is essential for effective public policymaking, as it allows scientists and advocacy groups to "speak with knowledge" about serious issues, such as plastic in the river, and use "hard evidence" to convince policymakers that these issues are truly extensive (McConville et. al, 2019).

One especially prominent example of the role of data-driven decision-making was seen through Thames21's data collection and analysis of plastic pollution in the River Thames from 2015 to 2019. It was found that wet wipes were the most common founds of litter near the river, constituting as much as 94% of items found in regions such as Hammersmith Bridge Southside (McConville et. al, 2019). This data significantly influenced and was considered in the Plastic (Wet Wipes) Bill, which originated in the House of Commons during the 2021-22 session (UK Parliament, 2022) and seeks to "prohibit the manufacture and sale of wet wipes containing plastic; and for connected purposes" (UK Parliament, 2022).

In fact, the Assembly explicitly stated that it "notes the work by the Port of London Authority, Thames21, Thames Water, and Tidway to tackle this issue through awareness campaigns, foreshore clean ups, and floating litter collectors” (Greater London Authority, 2022). Thus, the findings of citizen scientists are being taken seriously to the extent that they are incorporated in the policymaking process, and acknowledged alongside those of prominent governmental organizations and corporations.

Addressing Immediate Threats through Solidarity

Beyond influencing governments’ long-term policies and regulations, citizen scientists also contribute towards protecting citizens in the short term by investigating and raising awareness about urgent concerns in the River Thames. For example, approximately one month prior to the Henley Regatta in 2023 - an annual rowing event in Henley-on-Thames - the River Action environmental charity, in partnership with Henley local David Wallace, found elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates (River Action UK, 2023). These findings were noticed and created discontent for Sir Steve Redgrave, Olympic rower and chairman of the Henley Royal Regatta, who committed to "backing River Actions' Charter for Rivers" and "throwing all our weight behind the campaign to end sewage pollution" (Folker, 2023).

Evidently, even citizens who fondly utilize the River Thames for activities such as sports and leisure - such as the Henley Regatta's rowers - can be protected and informed through citizen science efforts. In parallel, these protective endeavors of solidarity and care for fellow citizens provide a sense of empowerment and satisfaction for citizen scientists themselves. As Dave Wallace asserted, "it feels good to know that the work of our small band of citizen scientists has had such an incredible impact" (Earthwatch Europe, 2023).

Increasing the Band of Citizens Involved

While Dave Wallace's remarks celebrate the power and potential of even small-scale, ad-hoc citizen science efforts, the fact that only a relatively "small band of citizen scientists" is often involved prompts attention to how a larger number of citizen scientists can be engaged. 

Strengthening Passions

In fact, the Zoological Society of London found in their citizen scientists' study of eels that "26% of project participants submitted 80% of the data," as a certain group of citizen scientists was more involved than the rest (Pecorelli et. al, 2019). Thus, the society is attempting to create a form of continuous training to counter participant dropout and ensure that the most dedicated volunteers remain involved. One creative approach in this regard is the hosting of the annual Eel Forum for citizen scientists, who can network with organizations such as the Environment Agency, other fellow citizen scientists, and peer conservation non-governmental organizations. 

Expanding Technical Avenues for Participation

While the approach of focusing on retention for volunteers who are already dedicated and passionate is pragmatic, there is also significant potential for creating avenues that encourage new volunteers to participate.

For example, cultivating new techniques for citizen science, such as data analysis and running models online, can enable remote and flexible participation, which is less limited to geographical or time-based constraints. Additionally, a greater incorporation of advanced software-driven research would appeal to individuals interested in other careers and academic fields, such as software engineering, machine learning, and data science.

Such efforts have already been taken by other citizen science organizations. For example, NASA, in collaboration in collaboration with Zooniverse, a citizen science web portal, has created a "Floating Forests" project. Participants can use the Zooniverse website to label pictures that have already been taken, based on whether kelp can be seen in the image (Zooniverse, 2023). Thus, even individuals who have not physically visited the Thames can contribute to research by analyzing existing images, while also contributing to data-driven machine learning models that utilize labeled data.

Researching Inclusion

That being said, the aforementioned idea is only one such potential avenue and must be researched further, alongside systemic conditions such as economic access and perceptions of demographic inclusion in citizen science opportunities. Through conferences specifically focused on "inclusivity in citizen science," such as the UK Environmental Observation Framework's symposium, researchers can conduct meta-level analysis about which citizens are participating in citizen science, and strategies for bolstering access and participation. 

Concluding Remarks

With regards to protecting and researching the Thames, significant attention has been given to "policy changes and innovative technologies" (Earthwatch, 2023). However, the "power of community-based initiatives should not be underestimated" (Earthwatch, 2023). Such initiatives can provide novel insights relevant to societal issues and concerns, enriching scientists' quantitative knowledge and providing guidance to policymakers not only about problems, but also about directions for future research. In fact, from the development of Internet of Things technologies to enable citizen science, to the rise of new policies for managing wet wipes in the Thames, citizen science is an important factor that amplifies innovation and effectiveness of said policy changes and innovative technologies.

The River Thames and English citizens have undoubtedly been inextricably linked throughout history - whether in the enjoyment of the Thames for leisure and biodiversity appreciation, or in directly facing the effects of the Thames’ water quality and safety hazards. Thus, it is only natural that citizens not only serve as passive recipients of policies or scientific decision-making, but are empowered to shape it themselves. 

References

This article was originally written for “OSPOXFRD 86: From the hills to the sea,” a seminar in the Bing Overseas Studies Program.

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