A Citizen Science Approach to Supporting Environmental Sustainability and Marine Litter Monitoring: A Case Study of USV Mapping of the Distribution of Anthropogenic Debris on Italian Sandy Beaches

Silvia Merlino, Marco Paterni, Luciano Massetti, Luca Cocchi () and Marina Locritani
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Silvia Merlino: Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR-CNR), 19032 Lerici, Italy
Marco Paterni: Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IFC-CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy
Luciano Massetti: Istituto per la Bioeconomia del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBE-CNR), 50145 Firenze, Italy
Luca Cocchi: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy
Marina Locritani: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: Research on the dynamic mechanisms driving the accumulation of anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) in highly dynamic environments, such as extensive sandy beaches, remains limited. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to map macro-marine litter in these environments over large temporal and spatial scales, but several challenges remain in their interpretation. In this study, secondary school students participated in a citizen science initiative, during which they identified, marked, and classified waste items using a series of UAV orthophotos collected along an 800 m extended Italian beach in different seasons. A specific training program and a collection of working tools were developed to support these activities, which were carried out under the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The accuracy of the citizen science approach was evaluated by comparing its results with standard in situ visual census surveys conducted in the same area. This methodology not only enabled an analysis of the temporal dynamics of AMD accumulation but also served an important educational function. The effectiveness of the learning experience was estimated using pre- and post-activity questionnaires. The results indicate a clear improvement in the students’ knowledge, interest, and awareness regarding marine litter, highlighting the potential of citizen science to both support environmental monitoring and promote sustainability education among younger generations.

Keywords: marine litter; citizen science; USV; ocean sustainability; marine protected areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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