Capelin beach spawning diaries: an analysis of 30 years of citizen science data from the island of Newfoundland, Canada ...

• Main Author: Murphy, Hannah M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Cybium 2022
• Subjects: Mallotus villosus, Northwest Atlantic fisheries, Forage fish, Citizen science; Canada; Newfoundland; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2022-464-004; https://sfi-cybium.fr/fr/capelin-beach-spawning-diaries-analysis-30-years-citizen-science-data-island-newfoundland-canada

Citizen science projects utilize non-professionals to collect data for scientific research and monitoring projects. Citizen scientists can collect data at temporal and spatial scales that may be unobtainable by individual scientists or research teams. On the island of Newfoundland, Canada, capelin (Mallotus villosus) spawn at both beach and coastal deep-water (sub-tidal, < 40 m) habitats. Timing of spawning is a predictor of capelin year-class strength. From 1991-2021, a network of citizen scientists, recruited and paid by Science Branch, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, monitored the timing, duration, and intensity of capelin beach spawning from June until August each year on the southeast and east coasts of the island (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization [NAFO] Divisions [Divs.] 3KLPs). Over the three decades of the spawning diary program, a total of 56 beaches were monitored with most of the surveyed beaches being located in Div. 3L (33 beaches) followed by Div. 3K (17 beaches) and Div. 3Ps (6 ...