Citizen science
The Parosphromenus Project also has an educational and scientific/political aspect: it demonstrates the power of “citizen science”. This term describes the participation of well-informed and scientifically interested amateurs involved in the collection and dissemination of knowledge in the society. It is not necessarily the professionally trained scientist, working in research or educational institutes, who exclusivly brings together our knowledge in specific areas. Often “ordinary citizens” from various professions develop into being outstanding experts in a certain field. Personal interests or hobbies form the framework for this. The aquaristic hobby includes many very good examples for this.
The capabilitiy of „citizen science“ is for example shown through the work of the founder of the licorice gourami aquaristic, the German medic Dr. Walter Foersch (1932 – 1993). Through his work the four main fuctions of “citizen science” can well be demonstrated:
Step 1 „Problem perception“:
Foersch realises that his licorice gouramis (parosphromenus spec.) obviously spawn in caves, but produce eggs that fall down. The males try to attach the eggs to the cave ceiling, but fail to do so. The eggs fall down again and again.
Step 2 „Interpretation“:
He concludes that there must be an important environmental factor, which is yet unknown and which is not given in his tanks. But he can not say yet if this is the cave material or the water quality.
Step 3 „Systematisation“:
He remembers a remark made by Walter Armbruster (Hamburg) who has reported that the eggs of pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus) stick to the plants in soft water, but fall down in hard water. This would speak for the factor “water”. He carries out systematic experiments with different caves and different water qualities.
Step 4: „Objectivisation“:
He discovers the fundamental connection between the adhesion of eggs at the ceiling of the caves and an extremely low salt content of the water. With this finding he solves the crucial question of keeping and breeding licorice gouramis (published in DATZ 12 – 1974 and 1 – 1975)
Furthermore citizen science can take on important tasks of the impact of knowledge and science in the society.
To express the results of professional science in a more common and understandable way Translation function |
To gain knowledge in areas, which are not covered by the professional science Complementing function |
To take care about the overview of connections in areas, in which specialists only pick out certain details Overview function |
To gather arguments that might help to correct the single-sided view of some experts Control function |
Additionally citizen science can act as an interface to the professional science. Also in this area there are many examples from the Parosphromenus Project, such as the discovery and description of new species or the cooperation with geneticists or specialised museums. The borders between professional and citizen science are not sharp Sometimes a difference is hardly recognizable to the professional science, but often the gain of knowledge of an amateur is limited to the above mentioned basic functions.
Since science always has a political aspect, due to its influence and impact on society, we will inform about this facet of the project under the button “politics”.