Informing the general public on the threat status of the European spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) through Citizen-Science and social media platforms. A case study from the Aegean Sea

Research known as Citizen Science (CS) has been recognized as an important tool for both biodiversity restoration and fisheries management projects through the active involvement of citizens, with the aim of raising public environmental awareness. CS projects should be well designed and ask clear questions that will benefit both the research goals and the citizen scientists themselves. In January 2019, the "Red Fish Project" group was created on Facebook (FB) consisting of SCUBA divers and fishers and offering the main data source and the relevant digital material. The project's setup was based on previous personal experiences, and it was following specific protocols. Further information, such as the exact location and depth of the observation was provided by personal communications. By 21st October 2020, the FB group consisted of 464 members who recorded 348 European spiny lobster individuals from all sub-regions of the Aegean Sea. Based on the findings of the present study it became apparent that most of the citizens were unaware that the species is listed as "Vulnerable" in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Lastly, we discuss the importance of the spiny lobster in the country's culture. The species can be listed as a charismatic, flagship species for citizens to be ocean-literate since it has been shown, that it can raise the interest of recreational divers and increase their awareness.