bloomWatch

Functionality & Mechanism

The bloomWatch application, a component of the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative, facilitates crowdsourced documentation of potentially harmful algal blooms. The system guides participants through a structured four-screen data entry protocol designed to capture observations. This process involves inputting location data, environmental conditions, and bloom size estimates using spatial references. A core function requires the submission of three distinct, geo-located photographs—landscape, mid-range, and close-up—from a single vantage point to provide a robust visual record for analysis.

Evidence & Research Context

• The associated research describes bloomWatch as a citizen science tool designed to address the significant under-reporting of cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms (HABs).
• Its protocol leverages crowdsourcing to capture data on ephemeral bloom events that official monitoring programs may miss due to logistical constraints.
• The required three-photo submission is designed to generate a standardized "weight of evidence" for subsequent expert assessment of potentially harmful conditions.
• Submitted data populates a public dashboard, providing an accessible resource for researchers and water managers to analyze spatial and temporal bloom patterns.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is intended for use by the general public as a citizen science data collection tool. Its primary utility is to report and document the occurrence of potential algal blooms for scientific and public health monitoring. The system does not provide real-time risk assessment or confirm cyanotoxin presence; all submissions require subsequent expert analysis.