An Overview of the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Online Sighting Report System and Lessons Learned from Mobile

App Development

Matt CannisterU.S. Geological Survey

Southeastern Ecological Science CenterSeptember 2012

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USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program

• 75000+ occurrence records for 1000+ nonnative freshwater (mostly) species

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• Publicly show 20-30 data fields

• Internally store 60+ data fields

• Collection, Site, and Source/Reference information associated with each record

Occurrence Record

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USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program

• 75000+ occurrence records for 1000+ nonnative freshwater (mostly) species

• Point & HUC distribution maps

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nas.er.usgs.gov

Point Distribution Maps

USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program

• 75000+ occurrence records for 1000+ nonnative freshwater (mostly) species

• Point & HUC distribution maps• Species accounts

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• Fact Sheet style information including:– Image (for recognition/identification purposes)– Taxonomy– Identification– Native & Introduced Ranges– Ecology– Means of Introduction– Status– Impacts of Introduction– Remarks– References

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Species Accounts

USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program

• 75000+ occurrence records for 1000+ nonnative freshwater (mostly) species

• Point & HUC distribution maps• Species accounts• Alert system for new introductions– Early Detection/Rapid Response (ED/RR) aspect

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nas.er.usgs.gov

• Alerts generated when a species is observed in a novel State, County, or watershed (HUC)

• Alerts sent out through:• RSS• Twitter

• @USGS_NAS• Email

• State alerts• Group alerts• Species alerts• Bonus alerts

Alert System

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Alert System• 1,190 alerts issued

from inception through 2011

• 62% from personal communications• includes Online

Sighting Report based records

• 83% of Lionfish records are pers comm.

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Online Sighting

Report Form

Online Sighting Report Form

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Online Sighting Report FormAs A Mobile App?

• WE HAVE THE APP• Mobile App idea mentioned in August 2011• Programmers began working on Alpha version

soon after (as a learning exercise)• Working prototype finished in November 2011– Fully functional, including back-end sever support

…sort of

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Hurdles in Mobile App Production

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• Technological Hurdles:– None

• Financial Hurdles:– Nothing substantial

• Bureaucratic Hurdles:– Waiting on DOI to approve a

Management/Review/Approval process for App Development• Since November 2011

Questions?

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mcannister@usgs.gov