To each participatory sciences. Conditions for a participatory biodiversity

Abstract

This paper considers the social and scientific requirements for a citizen science monitoring programme on biodiversity in Arcachon Bay (France). The sociological study reveals tensions between different conceptions of what a citizen science programme should be: a means for storing oriented-data; a new way to co-create scientific knowledge; a political communication tool; a way to develop citizen stewardship; or a place for expressing activist environmental demands. Citizen science programmes also tend to reveal tensions between participatory governance and classical management of environmental issues. Despite a seeming consensus amongst actors on biodiversity conservation, in practice contests over different citizen science conceptions have the potential to re-define environmental issues, to re-specify relationships between science and society and outline new management priorities.

Keywords

• contested conceptions of citizen science
• biodiversity management renewal
• public participation
• science society interactions