Highly engaged marine users can help monitor marine plastic pollution in under accessed environments

Citizen and community science programs have been instrumental in generating large datasets in natural sciences, while simultaneously engaging participants in science and the environment. Community led and citizen science projects have seen broad application to plastic pollution monitoring and cleanup efforts due to the abundance of plastic pollution in all environments around the globe. Here we highlight the work of a niche group of community scientists, we call, “highly engaged marine users.” This group of community scientists demonstrate an elevated level of marine citizenship and understanding of the ocean. Highly engaged marine users are equipped with a set of specific skills and knowledge that are required to access the under-monitored environments which they operate in across the global ocean. We present case studies of highly engaged marine users working in three marine environments that are data deficient; (1) surfers in the nearshore environment, (2) recreational divers at the seafloor, and (3) sailors/seafarers in the high seas. We reflect on the success of these programs highlighting the role of scientists in providing support in the study design, and execution of project efforts. Given the call for baseline and continued monitoring of plastics in the environment from intergovernmental initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Decade of Ocean Science, and the Global Plastics Treaty, we demonstrate that highly engaged marine users are key to executing sustained plastic pollution monitoring across the globe. Engaging this group of citizen scientists will be pivotal in meeting global needs of monitoring marine debris across the global ocean.