In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the University of Mississippi was tasked with developing a system to empower “citizen scientists” in conducting marine assessments along the north-central coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This led to the creation of the GulfSeeLife web portal and mobile application, which allows Gulf Coast residents and visitors to upload photos, measurements, GPS locations, and other data about specimens they have observed, captured, or identified.
Through GulfSeeLife, users can submit photos of endangered or unusual specimens of fish, marine mammals, birds, invertebrates, plants, and other species for identification. The platform enables tracking the abundance and health of these species seasonally and regionally, documenting invasive species, and monitoring changes in the health of coastal ecosystems and shoreline erosion.
Features and Benefits of GulfSeeLife
- Comprehensive Natural History Access: GulfSeeLife provides instant information about common plant and animal species along the northern Gulf Coast, covering a wide range of categories such as dune plants, seaweeds, fishes, birds, marine and land mammals, jellyfish, crabs, shells, and insects.
- Interactive Observation Sharing: Users can upload photos and videos of wild species and share their observations with the GulfSeeLife community.
- ID Wizard and Community Validation: The ID Wizard feature helps users identify observed species, with the GulfSeeLife community weighing in on species identification through a voting system.
- Mapping and Filtering Tools: Users can filter and map observations to track where and when specific wildlife has been seen by the community.
- Educational Opportunities: Educators can develop lesson plans using GulfSeeLife content, while learners of all ages contribute valuable data to the species observation database.
- Citizen Science Projects: The platform facilitates community-driven science projects to crowdsource data collection, enhancing understanding and management of the Gulf’s ecosystems.
Behind the Scenes: Robust CMS Development
The implementation of GulfSeeLife required the development of a sophisticated Content Management System (CMS) to curate and manage observations submitted by citizen scientists. This complex infrastructure ensures data accuracy and reliability while enabling seamless user engagement and administrative oversight.
GulfSeeLife brings together technology, community involvement, and scientific research to create a shared appreciation for the Gulf of Mexico’s natural resources. By enabling residents, visitors, educators, and scientists to document and track the region’s biodiversity, the platform is playing a crucial role in preserving the health of the Gulf’s ecosystems.