The ITD partnership wanted to achieve: - A connection - through images and through greater knowledge of importance to climate change - between deep sea marine ecosystems local to a range of Europeans. Through this connection, for these adults to become empowered to engage in pro-climate actions that support those same marine ecosystems. - More widespread knowledge of the scientific methods behind marine research, through our own Biigle.Party image annotation CS but also by showing how other marine citizen science projects contribute directly to agency and to and influential climate actions. Thereby to increase confidence in how science works, and the impact research can have. - A network of marine researchers engaging in citizen science, and to be transparent about scientific integrity, so that marine scientists have realistic and realisable aims for citizen science and lots of practical examples of how to achieve this. - Through our increasing engagement with UN Ocean Decade Challenges, our partnership also wanted to achieve greater awareness of these impressive initiatives and how communities and governments are already working towards similar common goals.
The Into The Deep (hereafter ITD) partnership came together to address three specific but interlinked needs: - For adults to have access to authentic and engaging information, on channels they customarily use, about marine research and the ocean's importance in the fight against climate change. In particular, to bring about a personal connection with deep ocean ecosystems that are harder for humans to reach yet essential for us to understand. - To support adults to engage in the scientific methods behind marine research, thereby increasing confidence in climate change science about the ocean, and increasing adults trust in the scientific method. - For marine researchers to have better methods and tools confidently plan citizen science data collection and analysis into their marine research, and for scientists to understand that CS (and by extension education) provide a means for non-scientific adults to become climate engaged and develop agency, becoming climate active. The above needs align with and proactively address UN Ocean Decade Challenge 10 (Restore society's relationship with the ocean) and 9 (Skills, knowledge, technology and participation for all).