On December 18, 2024, the OTTERS project hosted a seminar aimed at fostering collaboration between Armenian researchers and European aquatic scientists. Co-sponsored by the Spanish Embassy in Armenia, the seminar featured presentations by two experts from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Dr. Jaume Piera and Dr. Carlos Rodero García, who shared insights into the institute’s citizen science initiatives.
In the first half of the seminar, which took place in Yerevan, Armenia, Dr. Piera, director of the EMBIMOS team at CSIC, introduced the institute’s environmental participatory citizen observatory projects. Central to his presentation was the MINKA platform, which enables citizen scientists to record environmental data and validate it with the support of professional scientists. Currently aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14 (Life Below Water) and 15 (Life On Land), MINKA aims to broaden its contributions to additional SDGs in the future.
Dr. Rodero García, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in marine optics and citizen science, presented the Monocle project, highlighting innovative tools for water quality monitoring. He showcased the KdUINO Pro, a sensor that measures turbidity at various depths using multiple cameras mounted on a column. Dr. Rodero also introduced several low-cost and DIY sensors designed for citizen scientists to measure water quality and biodiversity effectively.
In the second half of the seminar, Armenian water scientists presented their ongoing citizen science projects. Dr. Garabet Kazanjian, Assistant Professor at the American University of Armenia (AUA), introduced the Mission Ocean OTTERS project and its four objectives for scaling up citizen science practices. He elaborated on the Spring to Sevan Stewardship pilot, one of three initiatives in Armenia, which focuses on equipping teachers in the Lake Sevan basin with tools and resources to integrate citizen science into their curricula.
Dr. Vardan Asatryan, from the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, complemented these efforts by introducing the initiative of promoting water literacy in schools. He emphasized their initiatives to assess water ecosystem services and highlighted activities involving students from Bjni, Armenia, in water quality monitoring and biodiversity observations.
The seminar provided a platform to identify synergies among the various citizen science projects presented. It also paved the way for establishing collaborative efforts to upscale initiatives, leverage expertise, and enhance water-related citizen science practices in Armenia and beyond.
