Coastal marine environments, which provide food and livelihood tomany coastal communities, are currently threatened by climate andanthropogenic stressors requiring robust monitoring to informenvironmental stewardship decisions. To address this issue, OceanNetworks Canada – a University of Victoria initiative – developed theCommunity Fishes program, which empowers coastal communitiesacross Canada to collect their own data through a ‘Citizen Scientists’approach. The Community Fishers program equips users with amultiparameter sonde, connected to a tablet, that is easily deployedand retrieved from a vessel or sea-ice. To ensure standardizedmethodologies are followed among all communities, organizations,individuals across Canada the Community Fishers program offersuniversity accredited training to all its participants.