In citizen science, the public participates voluntarily in the scientific process to address real-world problems. This may include forming research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems. This work can also go by other names such as “community science” or “participatory science.”

A grid of six photos. Top row, left to right: Two people stand on a beach holding measuring sticks, a shark swimming through the water, and two people sitting in front of a microscope. Bottom row, left to right: Whales surface to feed, a person smiling at the camera, and a sea bird starting its flight from the water.
Citizen scientists can contribute to a variety of projects across NOAA.  (Image credit: NOAA Office of Education)
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NOAA has a rich tradition of supporting such collaborative work, which continues to this day. Volunteers support a range of projects that do everything from improving our country's weather forecasts to protecting and managing marine species to charting the seafloor.

NOAA's Office of Education supports citizen science by managing a Citizen Science Community of Practice with more than 200 members, coordinating a catalog of projects, and representing the agency in broader efforts.

NOAA citizen science projects attracted more than 503,000 participants who contributed 1.2 million volunteer hours in fiscal year 2025 alone. Citizen science is one of six NOAA Science and Technology Focus Areas that help our agency achieve transformational advances in mission performance and efficiency. In March 2025, NOAA updated its Citizen Science Strategy to provide a path to engage the public in support of key mission areas and its Citizen Science Action Plan, which details how NOAA will advance public participation in the work that we do.

1.2 million
volunteer hours
were completed by citizen scientists in fiscal year 2025.
503,000
volunteers participated
in NOAA citizen science efforts in fiscal year 2025.
1 of 6
science and technology focus areas
guide transformative advancements in the quality and timeliness of NOAA’s products and services.

Broader efforts

NOAA is an active member of the Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science. Additionally, NOAA is active within the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences, formally known as the Citizen Science Association, which provides a coordination mechanism for the field.

Citizen science in action

Volunteers Eva Lagdamen and Benjamin Sankar are standing in the waters of an estuary, wearing waders, and show the camera a small eel, approximately the length of a finger, that they found in the river.

Benjamin Sankar and Eva Lagdamen proudly show off one of the juvenile glass eels they found during a session with Hudson River Eel. (Image credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Sankar)

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Clive is standing on a pier, wearing brown pants, a brown sweater, and a blue baseball cap, hoisting a net from over the fence. He is leaning against a white fence with the ocean just beyond him.

Clive gathers plankton with a net on the Santa Cruz wharf. (Image credit: Courtesy of Clive Bagshaw)

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A horseshoe crab is swimming in the water, approximately calf-deep, with a white tag saying that it is has been counted for the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch project.

A successfully tagged horseshoe crab swimming back into the ocean after encountering the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch team. (Image credit: Courtesy of Linda Palewicz)

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Philip Melcher, wearing a hat and sunglasses, is standing in front of a beach on the California coastline, with large mountains in the background.

Philip Melcher volunteers with NOAA’s GPS on BenchMarks project. Here, he is enjoying the view near Big Sur State Park in California. (Image credit: Courtesy of Philip Melcher)

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As a citizen scientist, you can make use of The GLOBE Program’s Observer mobile app (free and available for download on iOS and Android devices). You too can observe the world around you as these GLOBE students did during a recent GLOBE Learning Expedition in Killarney, Ireland (2018).

As a citizen scientist, you can make use of The GLOBE Program’s Observer mobile app (free and available for download on iOS and Android devices). You too can observe the world around you as these GLOBE students did during a recent GLOBE Learning Expedition in Killarney, Ireland (2018). (Image credit: The GLOBE Program)

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