Volunteerism in water research is increasing, largely due to the many benefits of public engagement in the scientific process. This talk will discuss bolstering the role of public participation in limnology and the management of aquatic ecosystems. It will specifically differentiate and highlight examples of both citizen and community science, focusing primarily on freshwater ecosystems and their fish. These examples will include several projects partnered with Indigenous Communities to understand the chemistry of waterbodies within their traditional territories and pollutant levels of subsistence-harvested fish. Additionally, the history and progression of the Florida LAKEWATCH program, one of the largest citizen science efforts in the country, will be discussed; volunteer engagement and training, sample collection, data collation and dissemination, and research will be detailed.