DuneWatch: launching citizen science for sandy dunes on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

DuneWatch is a citizen science project established in 2015 by the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management. It provides an opportunity for community members to assist in collecting vital information on the health of the sand dunes. Data are collected at 11 sites along the Gold Coast coastline with each site visited within a 4-week period. The program monitors the impact of BeachCare's community planting days as well as helping to create adaptive management strategies for implementing species density and diversity, through the collection of data – Flora, fauna, human impact and slope measurements. Data collected through the DuneWatch program will expand our knowledge of the local dune system as well as monitor the progress of BeachCare. DuneWatch has the potential to be undertaken as a citizen science program for other coastal community and land care groups nationally.