Latest news with #iNaturalist
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- Science
- NZ Herald
Citizen scientists submitting to iNaturalist are accelerating ecology research, study suggests
More than 1400 such articles were published in 2022 — 10 times as many as just five years earlier and a publication rate of nearly four studies per day. The data has helped scientists identify new species, track the spread of invasive organisms, pinpoint critical habitats, predict the effects of climate change and explore animal behaviour, among other things. A butterfly documented by Brittany Mason. Thousands of scientific papers have used data collected by users of the platform iNaturalist, according to new research. Photo / Brittany Mason via the New York Times 'INaturalist is really pervasive throughout the biodiversity research,' said Corey Callaghan, an ecologist at the University of Florida and an author of the paper, which was published in BioScience yesterday. 'It is fundamentally shaping the way that scientists think about research and think about designing studies and think about answering questions about biodiversity.' INaturalist users submit photos or audio recordings of the plants and animals they observe, along with the date, time and location. Anyone in the iNaturalist community can suggest an identification for the organism in the observation. If two-thirds of these suggestions agree, and the submission passes the platform's data quality review, the observation is classified as 'research grade', and sent to a global biodiversity database available to scientists. The emergence of the platform has coincided with the rise of smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras and audio recorders. The iNaturalist data set has grown exponentially in recent years. As of 2024, it contained more than 200 million observations collected by 3.3 million users. 'We're seeing this massive growth in data, and it's allowing us to study things globally and across a lot of taxonomic groups that would be challenging with small professional studies,' said Brittany Mason, a data management analyst at the University of Florida and an author of the study. An undated photo provided by Brittany Mason, a data management analyst at the University of Florida, shows a smartphone with photos of snakes she documented. Photo / Brittany Mason via the New York Times Through to May 2024, the researchers had identified 5250 papers that used iNaturalist data. The papers encompassed observations on more than 600 plant, animal and fungal families observed in 128 countries. In many published papers, scientists drawing upon iNaturalist observations have analysed basic data on the presence and absence of particular species: Where and when had certain plants and animals been observed? But even this seemingly simple data can shed light on many different processes and phenomena. In a 2023 paper, for instance, researchers used iNaturalist data to determine that the geographic range of the jaguarundi, a Latin American wildcat, no longer matched the map drawn up by experts. The cats seemed to have retreated from some former territory in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The same sort of basic observational data has been used to detect the spread of invasive shrubs in New York and New Jersey, document how Australian megafires have influenced biodiversity, and predict how climate change might affect critically endangered gibbons. Over the past few years, an increasing share of papers have gone beyond basic presence and absence data to analyse the content of user-submitted photos. 'The iNaturalist imagery is a really rich data source,' Mason said. 'And it seems like researchers are starting to pick up on this.' Machine learning is also making it more feasible for scientists to analyse large image collections. Researchers have used iNaturalist images to analyse colour variations in butterflies and snakes, compare the flower preferences of native and non-native bees and document the diets of birds in the Andes. Still, the authors stress, data from iNaturalist, which has a variety of limitations, will never be a substitute for expert observations and professionally trained field biologists. Data from the platform can complement and accelerate the research that trained scientists are doing, they said. And Callaghan wants iNaturalist's users to know that the time and effort they're putting in is paying dividends. 'Keep doing what you're doing,' he said, 'and who knows where the future is going to take us with these data.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Emily Anthes Photographs by: Frederick Kundert, Brittany Mason ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Star
18 hours ago
- Science
- The Star
Citizen scientists are accelerating ecology research, study suggests
In spring 2019, a nature photographer hiking in the mountains of northern China snapped an image of an unusual insect: a fly that appeared to be disguised as a bumblebee, down to its fuzzy black-and-yellow stripes. The photographer uploaded the image to iNaturalist, a citizen science platform, where it attracted the attention of an entomologist. The following year, the entomologist published a paper describing the bumblebee mimic as a new species, now known as the mountain ghost stiletto fly. It's a testament to the power of citizen science – and it's not an isolated occurrence, according to a new study, which documents how scientists are harnessing iNaturalist data. Since iNaturalist was founded in 2008, observations submitted to the platform have been incorporated into more than 5,000 peer-reviewed papers, with references exploding in recent years, the scientists found. More than 1,400 such articles were published in 2022 – 10 times as many as just five years earlier and a publication rate of nearly four studies per day. The data has helped scientists identify new species, track the spread of invasive organisms, pinpoint critical habitats, predict the effects of climate change and explore animal behaviour, among other things. 'INaturalist is really pervasive throughout the biodiversity research,' said Corey Callaghan, an ecologist at the University of Florida and an author of the paper, which was published in BioScience on Monday. 'It is fundamentally shaping the way that scientists think about research and think about designing studies and think about answering questions about biodiversity.' A butterfly Mason documented. Thousands of scientific papers have used data collected by users of the platform iNaturalist, according to new research. — Brittany Mason via The New York Times INaturalist users submit photos or audio recordings of the plants and animals they observe, along with the date, time and location. Anyone in the iNaturalist community can suggest an identification for the organism in the observation. If two-thirds of these suggestions agree, and the submission passes the platform's data quality review, the observation is classified as 'research grade', and sent to a global biodiversity database available to scientists. The emergence of the platform has coincided with the rise of smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras and audio recorders. The iNaturalist data set has grown exponentially in recent years. As of 2024, it contained more than 200 million observations collected by 3.3 million users. 'We're seeing this massive growth in data, and it's allowing us to study things globally and across a lot of taxonomic groups that would be challenging with small professional studies,' said Brittany Mason, a data management analyst at the University of Florida and an author of the study. Through May 2024, the researchers had identified 5,250 papers that used iNaturalist data. The papers encompassed observations on more than 600 plant, animal and fungal families observed in 128 countries. A smartphone with photos of snakes Mason documented. Thousands of scientific papers have used data collected by users of the platform iNaturalist, according to new research. — Brittany Mason via The New York Times In many published papers, scientists drawing upon iNaturalist observations have analysed basic data on the presence and absence of particular species: Where and when had certain plants and animals been observed? But even this seemingly simple data can shed light on many different processes and phenomena. In a 2023 paper, for instance, researchers used iNaturalist data to determine that the geographic range of the jaguarundi, a Latin American wildcat, no longer matched the map drawn up by experts. The cats seemed to have retreated from some former territory in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The same sort of basic observational data has been used to detect the spread of invasive shrubs in New York and New Jersey, document how Australian megafires have influenced biodiversity and predict how climate change might affect critically endangered gibbons. Over the past few years, an increasing share of papers have gone beyond basic presence and absence data to analyse the content of user-submitted photos. 'The iNaturalist imagery is a really rich data source,' Mason said. 'And it seems like researchers are starting to pick up on this.' (Machine learning is also making it more feasible for scientists to analyse large image collections.) Researchers have used iNaturalist images to analyse colour variations in butterflies and snakes, compare the flower preferences of native and nonnative bees and document the diets of birds in the Andes. Still, the authors stress, data from iNaturalist, which has a variety of limitations, will never be a substitute for expert observations and professionally trained field biologists. Data from the platform can complement and accelerate the research that trained scientists are doing, they said. And Callaghan wants iNaturalist's users to know that the time and effort they're putting in is paying dividends. 'Keep doing what you're doing,' he said, 'and who knows where the future is going to take us with these data.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Science
- Boston Globe
Citizen scientists are accelerating ecology research, study says
It's a testament to the power of citizen science -- and it's not an isolated occurrence, according to a new study, which documents how scientists are harnessing iNaturalist data. Since iNaturalist was founded in 2008, observations submitted to the platform have been incorporated into more than 5,000 peer-reviewed papers, with references exploding in recent years, the scientists found. More than 1,400 such articles were published in 2022 -- 10 times as many as just five years earlier and a publication rate of nearly four studies per day. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A photo provided by Brittany Mason, a data management analyst at the University of Florida, shows a butterfly she documented. BRITTANY MASON/NYT Advertisement The data has helped scientists identify new species, track the spread of invasive organisms, pinpoint critical habitats, predict the effects of climate change and explore animal behavior, among other things. 'INaturalist is really pervasive throughout the biodiversity research,' said Corey Callaghan, an ecologist at the University of Florida and an author of the paper, which was published in BioScience on Monday. 'It is fundamentally shaping the way that scientists think about research and think about designing studies and think about answering questions about biodiversity.' INaturalist users submit photos or audio recordings of the plants and animals they observe, along with the date, time and location. Anyone in the iNaturalist community can suggest an identification for the organism in the observation. If two-thirds of these suggestions agree, and the submission passes the platform's data quality review, the observation is classified as 'research grade,' and sent to a global biodiversity database available to scientists. Advertisement The emergence of the platform has coincided with the rise of smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras and audio recorders. The iNaturalist data set has grown exponentially in recent years. As of 2024, it contained more than 200 million observations collected by 3.3 million users. 'We're seeing this massive growth in data, and it's allowing us to study things globally and across a lot of taxonomic groups that would be challenging with small professional studies,' said Brittany Mason, a data management analyst at the University of Florida and an author of the study. A photo provided by Brittany Mason shows a smartphone with photos of snakes she documented. BRITTANY MASON/NYT Through May 2024, the researchers had identified 5,250 papers that used iNaturalist data. The papers encompassed observations on more than 600 plant, animal and fungal families observed in 128 countries. In many published papers, scientists drawing upon iNaturalist observations have analyzed basic data on the presence and absence of particular species: Where and when had certain plants and animals been observed? But even this seemingly simple data can shed light on many different processes and phenomena. In a 2023 paper, for instance, researchers used iNaturalist data to determine that the geographic range of the jaguarundi, a Latin American wildcat, no longer matched the map drawn up by experts. The cats seemed to have retreated from some former territory in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The same sort of basic observational data has been used to detect the spread of invasive shrubs in New York and New Jersey, document how Australian megafires have influenced biodiversity and predict how climate change might affect critically endangered gibbons. Advertisement Over the past few years, an increasing share of papers have gone beyond basic presence and absence data to analyze the content of user-submitted photos. 'The iNaturalist imagery is a really rich data source,' Mason said. 'And it seems like researchers are starting to pick up on this.' (Machine learning is also making it more feasible for scientists to analyze large image collections.) Researchers have used iNaturalist images to analyze color variations in butterflies and snakes, compare the flower preferences of native and nonnative bees and document the diets of birds in the Andes. Still, the authors stress, data from iNaturalist, which has a variety of limitations, will never be a substitute for expert observations and professionally trained field biologists. Data from the platform can complement and accelerate the research that trained scientists are doing, they said. And Callaghan wants iNaturalist's users to know that the time and effort they're putting in is paying dividends. 'Keep doing what you're doing,' he said, 'and who knows where the future is going to take us with these data.' This article originally appeared in
CBC
a day ago
- Science
- CBC
Like taking nature pics? The national week-long scavenger hunt for biodiversity is for you
From backyard bird sightings to interesting plants and curious mushrooms on the hiking trail, everyday nature encounters can be recorded and photographed to be added to a national biodiversity database. Londoners are invited to join the Big Backyard BioBlitz, a Canada-wide citizen science event organized by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), which returns for its fifth year from July 28 to August 4. The week-long initiative invites people of all ages to snap photos or make audio recordings of the birds, animals, plants, fungi and even invasive species they come across, and upload them using the free iNaturalist app. "It's open to everyone," said Sarah Meyer, co-ordinator of conservation biology at the NCC, on CBC London Morning. "Whether you're in your backyard, walking through a city park, or camping in the backwoods, your observations help shape our understanding of local ecosystems." The BioBlitz is more than a fun outdoor activity, it's a crowdsourced scientific effort. Last year, participants submitted more than 47,000 observations, including nearly 22,000 in Ontario alone. Since it started, the event has helped document over 8,600 species, including rare and endangered ones. "It's about getting more eyes on the ground," Meyer says. "We can't be everywhere at once, but this gives us a snapshot of what's blooming, what's migrating, and even when invasive species are starting to spread." Armed with a smartphone, tablet or digital camera, participants can upload what they see and hear to iNaturalist, which helps identify species and makes the data accessible to researchers. The information gathered will help inform everything from conservation planning to habitat protection. New this year, the BioBlitz has been extended from a long weekend to a full week, giving families more time to get involved, including over the August holiday. To help engage younger naturalists, the NCC has created printable activities available online, including scavenger hunt bingo, word searches, and colouring pages. "It's amazing what kids can spot," Meyer said. "Sometimes they're the first to see something we'd completely miss. This is a chance for them to be scientists, too." Meyer said the BioBlitz also serves a larger purpose, especially as biodiversity faces growing threats from climate change and habitat loss. "Every single observation adds to our knowledge," she said. "It might just feel like you're taking a photo of a milkweed or a beetle, but collectively, that data helps scientists make real conservation decisions."
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Your Nature Photos Are Doing More Science Than You Think
With a smartphone in hand, anyone can be a naturalist. Apps like iNaturalist have surged in popularity over the last 15 years, with millions using them to document wildlife around the world. A new study shows that these observations contribute a deluge of data to scientific research. Use of iNaturalist has skyrocketed since its launch in 2008. This citizen science database now contains more than 200 million observations logged by over 3 million users globally, according to research published Monday, July 28, in the journal BioScience. This study is the first to comprehensively quantify how everyday people are contributing to biodiversity science through iNaturalist, coauthor Corey Callaghan, a global change ecologist at the University of Florida, told Gizmodo. He and his colleagues conducted a review of thousands of research articles, finding that the number of peer-reviewed studies using iNaturalist data surged more than tenfold in the last five years. 'Beyond documenting where species occur, the photos uploaded to iNaturalist offer a rich source of biological information—capturing habitat, species coloration, behavior, and more,' lead author Brittany Mason, data management analyst in Callaghan's research group, told Gizmodo in an email. 'Researchers are increasingly using this imagery data as a valuable source of ecological and behavioral data.' The rise of iNaturalist has ushered in a new era of citizen science. This free app—available for both iOS and Android—allows users to record wildlife observations and share their data with research partners such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Unlike some other apps that use AI to identify species, iNaturalist relies on its vast community of users for this task. 'Humans need to confirm the identification in order for it to go to research grade,' Callaghan said. This collaborative approach produces a wealth of rigorously vetted data that scientists can use to support their research. 'Many iNaturalist contributors aren't scientists by training, but the platform's user-friendly design empowers anyone to meaningfully participate in scientific discovery,' Mason said. Over 3.5 million iNaturalist users are now helping researchers track species ranges, detect invasive species, monitor climate impacts, and even discover new species, according to Callaghan. In 2011, for example, a user in Columbia documented this century's first confirmed record of the Columbian Weasel—an extremely rare species. No one had ever photographed one alive before, and this iNaturalist user's observation contributed to a 2019 study of its distribution in protected areas. The review shows that iNaturalist data have become pervasive in scientific literature, appearing in papers from 128 countries for over 638 taxonomic families. In the face of a global biodiversity crisis, there is an urgent need for cost-effective and efficient methods to document and assess the status of species, the authors state. As of 2022, 211 plant and animal species had gone extinct in the U.S. alone, and 2,288 were threatened or endangered, according to the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan. As individuals, it's easy to feel powerless in a situation like this. This study shows, however, that citizen science is playing an increasingly important role in efforts to monitor, protect, and conserve species. The exponential growth of iNaturalist observations over the past several years has 'fundamentally shifted' the landscape of biodiversity research, Callaghan said, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. 'Thinking about what's coming five, ten years from now—it's mind-boggling,' Callaghan said. 'We still don't know the potential.
