DOI: 10.5061/dryad.73n5tb379
title: Data from CoFish: co-designing citizen science between fishers and scientists to monitor the phosphorus distribution across two Lake Geneva basins

description: Background Eutrophication, followed by re-oligotrophication during lake
 restoration, in many peri-alpine lakes has caused important changes to the
 functioning and biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems. In Lake Geneva,
 total phosphorus (TP) concentration has been reduced since the eutrophic
 years, and is now close to the upper value of the target range of 10-15
 µg/L. For over 60 years the lake has been monitored at SHL2, the central
 and deepest point in the Eastern basin, complemented by data from GE3 in
 the Western basin. Selection of these reference points was based on a
 lake-wide analysis of TP in the 1950s. Fishers have for some time
 expressed concerns that further reductions in TP could damage the
 sustainability of their livelihoods. They have called for a re-evaluation
 of the historical sampling points to determine whether SHL2 and GE3 can
 still be considered representative in terms of nutrient concentration of
 the lake. Results Here, we present the scientific and societal impacts of
 CoFish, a co-designed research project between scientists and fishers of
 Lake Geneva. To reassess the spatial variability of TP we applied a
 low-cost method to collect integrated water samples across the lake, using
 stoppered hosepipes as a collection instrument. In this article, we
 present four key messages: i)    
 There is spatial variation in phosphorous levels, and in most cases the
 two points fall within an acceptable range of variability;
 ii)    The concentrations of phosphorus are
 generally low across the lake in ranges that could have an impact for
 plankton development. iii) Citizen science can complement long-term
 monitoring, allowing for instance for better spatial coverage of
 environmental data; iv) The co-design process resulted in community
 empowerment, a willingness to further collaborate. Conclusions The
 management implications of this work are that using a single reference
 station as being representative of the lake as a whole is not
 straightforward. In the discussion, we advocate for a re-evaluation of the
 TP targets, given radical changes in the lake`s physical structure and
 food web. We further highlight the important role of engaging fishers in
 citizen science, which resulted in bridging existing gaps between lake
 management, science, and fisheries, providing a broader basis for lake
 conservation.
description: <strong>Sample collection </strong>
 The data were collected by citizen scientists. To collect
 samples, we constructed an 18m long integrated water sampler out of a
 garden house, fitted with a cork stopper at one end and a 5kg weight at
 the other following a design used in the European Multi Lake  Survey
 protocol (Mantzouki et al., 2018). While not the central objective of the
 study, we also measured lake transparency and trained fishers to use
 Secchi disks. Average Secchi depths were calculated as the mean of the
 depth at which the Secchi disk was no longer visible and the depth that it
 starts to be visible again, once bringing it up to the surface.
 <strong>Lab analyses</strong>
 Samples were analyzed for TP and P-PO<sub>4</sub>
 using a Seal Analytical AQ2, following protocols EPA 119-A-Rev. 7 and EPA
 155-A, which is based on a reaction of acidic molybdate in the presence of
 antimony. The limits of quantification were 3μg/L for both with a range of
 3-100 μg/L for TP and 3-300μg/L for P-PO<sub>4</sub>. Methods
 were chosen to correspond to those used by the CIPEL for their long-term
 monitoring of the lake`s two reference points. All 36 stations were
 sampled in all four campaigns except CRG10 that was not sampled in the
 first campaign due to windy conditions. Orthophosphate measurements were
 conducted within 48 hours of sample collection. The second bottle was sent
 to Eawag, in a frozen state, where the measurements for total P and
 orthophosphate were repeated, initially to serve as an inter-laboratory
 comparison.
description: # Data from CoFish: co-designing citizen science between fishers and
 scientists to monitor phosphorus distribution across Lake Geneva
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.73n5tb379](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.73n5tb379) ## Description of the data and file structure **Dataset** contains data for sampling coordinates, fisher ID, sampling campaign, date, time of collection, Secchi 1= depth at which the disk disappears, Secchi 2= depth at which it re-appears when lifting it out of the water, Secchi_avg= the averages of Secchi1 and Secchi2. Units are in m. **meanP-PO4_GVA=** the average based on three replicates (units in g/L), **sdophos_GVA_** the standard deviation for that measurements **TotalP_AuA_ugL=** Total P (units in g/L) ### Files and variables #### File: all\_data\_CoP\_dryad.csv ##### Variables * Campaign: sampling campaign * Date: date of sampling * Sample name: unique code based on CIPEL naming * Site: unique site name * Lake basin: Grand/Petit * Location: Transect * Lat_dec: Decimal latitude * Long_dec:Decimal longitude * Depth_sample: depth sample was collected * Collector: initials of principal collector * Time: time sample was collected * Secchi 1: depth at which secchi disappears when descending * Secchi 2:depth at which secchi reappears when descending * Secchi_avg : average Secchi 1 + Secchi2 * meanP-PO4_GVA: mean P-PO4 from the Geneva labs based on 3 replicates. units in g/L * sdophos_GVAT:stdev P-PO4 from the Geneva labs based on 3 replicates * TotalP_AuA_ugL: Total P, units in g/L from the AuA lab (Eawag). NA in the cells indicates where data was not collected or failed to be recorded. ## Code/software Excel Analyses in R ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * [Maps of Switzlerland](https://map.geo.admin.ch/#/map?lang=fr&center=2510627.96,1135070.82&z=6&topic=bafu&layers=ch.bafu.hydrologie-gewaesserzustandsmessstationen&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-grau&catalogNodes=bafu,768,781,1361,767,784,798,804,806,826,843,849,851,1505,15157,2801,2828,2833) Data was derived from the following sources: * Monod, R. 1984. Le Lman: Synthse Des Travaux de La Commission Internationale Pour La Protection Des Eaux Du Lman Contre La Pollution. Lausanne: CIPEL: Commission internationale pour la protection des eaux du Lman.