Participatory Research: Linking Citizens to Scientists
As published in the Volunteer Monitor Newsletter, Volume 15, Number 1, Winter 2003
by Jeff Schloss

The New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program, founded in 1978, was conceived by University of New Hampshire (UNH) faculty as a way to involve local residents in collecting baseline lake water quality data for detecting long-term trends and locating problem areas. Our original outreach intentions were twofold: to provide unbiased data for informed local watershed management, and to create an opportunity for participants to gain hands-on understanding of water resource concepts and issues.

What we did not anticipate was that our statewide "army" of volunteer scientists would prove invaluable in advancing applied research important to lake and watershed management decisions. Not too long into the program we were made aware of the various concerns of our participants about specific lake and watershed conditions. It became clear that in many cases the research-based knowledge to fully answer their questions was lacking. After consulting with state agencies and researchers, and usually finding that their limited resources would not allow for obtaining the data needed to start answering some very important questions, we decided to incorporate into the Lakes Lay Monitoring Program a new participatory research program to address the concerns of our monitors.

What is participatory research?
At this point I should introduce our concept of what "participatory research" entails. We see this as a collaboration that meets a certain set of criteria:
1. Community members should be directly involved in the design and implementation of research projects.
2. Research processes and outcomes should benefit the local community as well as the scientific community.
3. Community members should be part of the analysis and interpretation of the data and should have input into how the results are distributed.
4. Productive partnerships between researchers and community members should be encouraged to last beyond the life of the research project.

All of our participatory research projects are based on the use of low-tech (and extremely cost-effective) data gathering coupled with high-tech analysis methods. Having a network of trained volunteers outfitted with sampling equipment and located on sites throughout the state allows for exceptional coverage that would be logistically and financially difficult for an agency or research group to duplicate.

Fish condition study
Our earliest experience with the participatory model was our fish condition study. Our volunteer monitors' perceptions were that their fisheries were declining, but we could not be sure that this was in fact occurring. When we approached our state fish and game agency they told us they only had limited data due to the sampling effort required.

Our statewide network of volunteers was able to collect data on the health of important warm- and coldwater species on many different types of lakes over a wide geographic area. The volunteers conducted length-to-weight measurements to assess fish condition (the heavier the fish for its length, the better its condition) and also obtained fish scales which they sent to UNH for analysis (fish scales have annual growth rings that reflect their growth history). Some volunteers caught their own fish while others approached anglers and asked to sample their catch.

Analysis of the data by a postdoctoral student at the university gave us a much better picture of how important fisheries were doing and how they compared from lake to lake, as well as a baseline from which to document future changes. The information was readily put to use by agencies and volunteer groups alike. For example, after learning of the impact of an overpopulation of yellow perch on Bow Lake, the Bow Lake Camp owners Association initiated an annual yellow perch fishing derby for kids and also worked with fish tournament groups to remove perch when caught. In other lakes where important fishery species were found to be in poor condition the agency moved to enhance forage fish populations.

Boat impacts depend on lake factors
Boat impacts are another great concern within our stakeholder communities. Until very recently there was limited data on motored watercraft impacts, particularly those impacts not related to fuel. We have worked with a variety of lake groups in designing studies that met their information needs. Some studies were set up to address cumulative impacts throughout a busy boating weekend while others used a single watercraft to compare impacts at various areas of a lake.

The interesting conclusion from all of these studies is that the actual impacts of watercraft are highly dependent on lake characteristics. A good example is the very different results seen on Conway Lake versus the Squaw Cove area of Squam Lake (see graph). At the Squam Lake site, intensive motorboat activity increased total phosphorus (the limiting nutrient responsible for algae blooms) by only 3 parts per billion (ppb), while on Conway Lake an equivalent level of boating activity resulted in a substantial increase from 8 ppb to 88 ppb. One factor accounting for these very different responses is the difference in lake bottom type. The bottom of Conway Lake is characterized by fine particles that are easily suspended into the water column and take a long time to resettle. In contrast, the sandy bottom of Squam Lake's Squaw Cove area consists of heavy particles that are harder to suspend and that settle back down quickly.

Our studies of watercraft impact on a number of lakes revealed that impacts are determined by many different factors including lake area, mean depth, and bottom type; shoreline configuration, condition, and development; weed bed extent; and shoreline and lake-bottom slope.

The fish condition and boat impact studies are only two of numerous participatory research efforts undertaken by the University of New Hampshire and the Lakes Lay Monitoring Program. Our participatory projects have led to significant gains in our understanding of our lakes while at the same time bringing great benefits to the university's faculty and students, the volunteers, and their communities. In the future, this type of collaborative research effort is likely to become even more relevant in helping to supply needed information in a cost-effective manner.

The NH LLMP is jointly administered through the UNH Center for Freshwater Biology, a multi-departmental research group, and UNH Cooperative Extension, whose mission is to provide research-based outreach support to individuals and communities throughout the state. The LLMP relies on UNH Cooperative Extension for staff support and facilities, collects lab fees from participants to cover analysis costs, receives occasional research and foundation grants, and has a very small endowment to help support a summer intern.

Jeff Schloss is the Coordinator of the New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program, a Water Resources Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension, and a Research Scientist at the UNH Center for Freshwater Biology. He may be reached at jeff.schloss@unh.edu; 603-862-3848.