CyanoTRACKER: A Citizen Science Project for Reporting Harmful Algal Blooms

The CyanoTRACKER reporting system is a citizen science application which allows users to report potential algal blooms with location-enabled photographs and textual observations. These reports contribute to the larger effort to monitor and protect surface waters from harmful algal blooms (HABs). We discuss the problem of cyanobacterial HABs, their toxins, and current methods for detection and monitoring. The participatory sensing approach is then considered in the context of this project. We describe the system requirements and general design considerations before detailing the current implementation and experiment setup. The mobile reporting app is evaluated in terms of the bandwidth, estimated energy, and the time it takes to submit. Our results show that these citizen-submitted results provide a cost-effective input to water management efforts. We reflect on design decisions and discuss future improvements before concluding the paper.