A Citizen Science Mobile App for Global Marine Debris Data Collection

Marine debris (typically a waste material) enters our environment from various pathways including mismanagement of solid waste (direct and indirect littering), which allow it to travel in our waterways and oceans. Marine... [ view full abstract ]

Marine debris (typically a waste material) enters our environment from various pathways including mismanagement of solid waste (direct and indirect littering), which allow it to travel in our waterways and oceans. Marine debris persists in our environment, items and pieces have been found on populated and unpopulated coastlines as well as in the open ocean. As a part of the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative (SEA-MDI) partnership with NOAA, a citizen science mobile application was developed for the Android and iPhone platforms called Marine Debris Tracker. Mobile Applications have become synonymous with modern communications, and this ever growing tool was used for its convenience, popularity, cost efficiency, and technical data capability. The widespread nature of mobile applications (or “Apps”) in today’s world provides an innovative yet simple tool for development and use by citizen scientists. The Marine Debris Tracker App provides an opportunity for individuals to record location and description of marine debris items on their Smartphone (instead of logging using a data card). The flexibility in the App allows a casual beach goer to record debris they find, or for an organized cleanup group to keep track of debris in beach cleanups. Data is posted on a publicly available web portal, with the most recent five items are shown in a dynamic and engaging “feed” that updates every time a debris item is recorded. Data is also viewable on a map and available for download. Users of the website may observe and download data to use in curriculum development, classroom teaching, and as examples of marine debris throughout the world for education purposes. The Marine Debris Tracker App, database, and website have the potential to develop the mission of marine debris prevention into a regional, national, and global agenda. The website is at: http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/