The ocean remains one of the most under-observed parts of our planet, where traditional scientific monitoring is limited by cost and logistics. Marine citizen science can help fill those gaps, but poor data management often keeps these observations from being fully used, but projects like CS-MACH1 are here to change that.

Published on 25 September 2026 in Frontiers in Marine Science (Ocean Observation section), "Advancing data integration in marine citizen science: insights from a collaborative workshop" reports the outcomes of the workshop launching the CS-MACH1 Marine Citizen Science Data Network. The workshop was held on 3-4 February 2026 in Ostend, Belgium, hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and led by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). It brought together about 200 participants from over 30 countries: citizen science initiatives, low-cost device developers, data managers, researchers and data users.

According to the workshop's outcomes, there is a need to shift from "quality control" to "quality description": well-documented data with clearly stated limitations is more valuable than undocumented high-precision data. This approach helps close the "trust gap" between citizen science and established scientific communities.

The main barrier to a full exploitation of Marine Citizen Science data if fragmentation. The problem is not a shortage of initiatives or technology, but a lack of shared guidance, interoperable workflows and sustained coordination.

Feedback keeps volunteers engaged, showing contributors how their data are used supports both participation and the effort needed to make data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Low-cost technologies are opening up new opportunities for schools, community groups, divers and sailors to collect meaningful ocean data.

From this workshop, four recommendations can be drawn:

• Adopt FAIR principles from the outset, with guidance tailored to each discipline (biodiversity, physical oceanography, marine litter).

• Strengthen metadata completeness and provenance transparency through minimum essential metadata standards.

• Simplify engagement through plain-language guidance and practical training, especially for small and grassroots groups.

• Support the adoption of affordable, community-scale sensors that meet minimum quality and documentation requirements.

The workshop also marked the formal launch of the Marine Citizen Science Data Network, an open and inclusive community connecting initiative coordinators, data experts, technology developers and marine scientists. It guides citizen science data towards European services such as EMODnet and EurOBIS. As CS-MACH1's main legacy outcome, the network is designed to continue beyond the project's funding period, and a sustainability roadmap is in development.

Read the full open-access paper.

Join the Marine Citizen Science Data Network.