Citizen Science: the next big leap

A scientific session and public Town Hall was convened at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium on the topic of the role of citizen science in coral reef protection and sustainability. Over 50 attendees discussed examples of successful citizen science activities and questions surrounding a broader adoption of citizen science in coral reef research and conservation. Establishing best practices, involving scientists in all steps of the program, and providing clear and continuous direction and communication were identified as some of the important considerations to enhancing the role of citizen science. This paper presents a synthesis of these discussions and their outcomes.