Doris Knoblauch from Ecologic Institute presented recent work from the Plastic Pirates – German Coast citizen science project at the 2026 conference of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) in Oulu (Finland). The conference brought together around 650 participants from across Europe and beyond to discuss the latest developments in citizen science research and practice.

During a panel discussion on co-created citizen science for transformative environmental and sustainable futures, Doris Knoblauch shared insights from the long-running Plastic Pirates campaign. The contribution focused on challenges that large-scale citizen science programmes face when moving beyond data collection towards deeper forms of co-creation with participants. Drawing on experiences from the campaign, the discussion explored how large initiatives can maintain meaningful engagement with participants while operating at national and European scales. The contribution was prepared together with colleagues from the Kiel Science Outreach Lab.

In addition, first findings from focus group discussions with students participating in the Plastic Pirates campaign were presented in a session on citizen science pathways in marine and coastal monitoring. The research combines natural and social science perspectives to examine how young people perceive the plastic pollution crisis and what types of solutions they consider effective. It highlights how participation in citizen science activities can shape young people's understanding of environmental challenges and their role in addressing them.

The research at Ecologic Institute is led by Mandy Hinzmann and supported by Hannah Brunkhorst and Charlotte Felthöfer, who contributed to the data collection and analysis. The team is currently preparing the results for publication.