Color by Numberswith

Friends of Casco Bay

We are delighted that you will be contributing to an ever-increasing database on the Color of our coastal waters! The strength of this effort is in the numbers of data points collected over time, so your participation is key.

This manual guides you through the seven steps in the process to help us measure the color of the Bay. If you have any problems throughout this process, please do not hesitate to contact us. During office hours, call us at (207) 799-8574. Outside office hours, call or text (207) 370-7553.

The first four steps in this process should be completed before heading outside to take your measurement. They should be completed at one time and should take about 20 minutes.

For these first four steps, you will need the smartphone you will be using for measurements and a second internet-connected device (e.g. computer, tablet, or another smartphone) to help you get set up. A tablet is the easiest second device to use.

1. Create your account online2. Download the app onto your device3. Register your device4. Learn about the optimal locations and scheduling, adding

measurement times into your calendar

Next, get outside and start measuring the color of the Bay.

5. Take your first measurement6. Confirm that your device has been registered and that you have taken

your measurement7. Share your measurement experiences with us

Let’s get started.

1© 2018 Friends of Casco Bay

Step 1: Create your Account Online

NOTE: It will be easiest to use the digital version of this manual to create your account. This will allow you to click on the links instead of having to type them into your browser. If you printed this document, you can find the digital version here: https://www.cascobay.org/color-manual/

1.1 On a second device (not the phone you will use for measuring), create your user account by going to http://www.eyeonwater.org/color/welcome.php

Note: Use the exact link above. This is the most efficient way to create your account. Make sure not to use https, as the link will not work.

Troubleshooting:If you do not use the link above, first, be sure you land on the right website, not eyeonwater.com, but eyeonwater.org.

When you get to the site, here is how you can find the place to Create your Account:

→ Go to eyeonwater.org: → Go to upper right corner, click on Observations → Go to lower middle of the screen and click on View the map of colour

observations

1.2 Go to the upper right corner and click on Create User Account

Troubleshooting:If you do not see the EyeOnWater color banner:

On an iPad or Tablet, make sure you are holding the device in portrait orientation. On a desktop or laptop computer, you will need to resize the window to make the banner appear. Generally, this means making the window the size of an iPad or magazine cover. To make the window smaller:

→ Click the button for your operating system (see images to the right)

→ That will resize your browser window to the last used size → Move your mouse to the bottom edge of the window and change the

size of window making it as tall as possible → Move your mouse to the right edge of the window and now make

the width of the window narrower, until the banner appears

On Windows (Upper right):

On Mac ( Upper left):

2

1.5 Next, click “Login” in the upper right hand corner. Enter your email address, password, and click the green

“login” button.

You will know you are logged in when you see “User:[your username]” in the upper right of the screen. DO NOT click on the User:[your username”] button! Clicking on it will log you out. If that happens, follow the instructions in this step—1.5—to log back in.

1.6 Click on “Register Device” in the upper right corner to prepare to connect your smartphone to your account by scanning a QR code.

You should see a screen like the one below. Keep this open while you

walk through steps 2 and 3 to get your phone set up. The QR code is valid for only 10 minutes. Should it expire, please

reload the page.

Step 1 Continued: Create your Account Online

1.3 Fill in the fields: a username, email address, a password and the “prove you are a human” verification code. Please note: your username will be public and common usernames may not be available. Record your username and password. You will need this information to log into eyeonwater.org to see your data. Then click the “Create account” button.

1.4 Close the black pop up window (see example below) by clicking the “X” in the upper right hand corner.

3

Step 3: Register your Smartphone

3.1 On the smartphone you will use for measuring, open the EyeOnWater app.

3.2 Click the menu icon in the upper left hand corner.

3.3 Click “Register your device”

3.4 Click “Scan QR code”

3.5 Now you are going to use both devices—the one you used to create your account and the phone you will use for measuring—at the same time, to register the smartphone you will use for measuring color.

Hold the phone you will use for measuring color up to the QR code on the second screen. Your phone will automatically recognize and scan the QR code and then take you back to the “Scan QR code” screen.

PLEASE NOTE: It may seem like your phone did not scan the QR code as the website does not have a clear “your device is registered” signal. The moment your phone scans the QR code, your device is registered.

3.6 Close the app now.

Troubleshooting:If you never scanned a QR code before, your phone may prompt you to install a QR code reading app. You can follow the prompts to do so.

Step 2: Download the EyeOnWater app onto your smartphone

There are two ways to download the EyeOnWater app, either search your phone’s app store or use the links provided here.

• Search method: In the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android), search for “eyeonwater-color” (do not add any spaces and include the hyphen) and find the app with the logo shown here.

• Link method: • iPhone: On your phone, use your browser (e.g. Safari, Chrome)

to go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eyeonwater-colour/id1021542366?mt=8 A new window will open asking “Open in the app store?” Click yes. Click “Get” to download the app.

• Android: On your phone, use your browser (e.g. Chrome) to go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.maris.citclops.crosswalk Click Install.

Note: There are multiple apps called EyeOnWater. Download the one with the logo shown above.

4

Step 4: Mark your calendar—When and where to measure

High tide between 10 AM and 2 PM is optimal for measuring. We have identified all dates and times this year that provide the tides and light needed for measuring. The dates in bold on this schedule are dates we want as many people as possible to participate. Please measure only during the Measuring Window.

4.1 Review the Optimal times to measure: The list is at the end of this manual and at https://www.cascobay.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-Color-Measuring-Dates-Friends-of-Casco-Bay.pdf. You can help us help the health of Casco Bay by integrating the Optimal Measuring Dates into your calendar and measure as often as you can! Thank you!

4.2 Find an optimal location. This will be a place where you:• cannot see the bottom• can safely hold your phone parallel to the water (a dock, or a boat;

not a beach or shoreline)• you have the sun at your back (even if it is cloudy), shining over

either of your shoulders.If you have access to a kayak, sail, or power boat, we encourage measuring via boat. Since there is an hour-long window, you could take multiple measurements in a row, moving a few feet between each measurement.

Height above the water should not be a big factor.

4.3 Plan your arrival time so that you have enough time to get to your location and find a specific measuring spot within the specified Measuring Window for that date.

Next, get outside and start measuring the color of Casco Bay!

Step 5: Measuring, step by step, using the EyeOnWater app

Please note: the app works best when you move through it step by step, not using the back buttons.

If at any point the app starts to act strangely or you have to go back, restart the app.

5.1 Go to your measuring location on the Bay.

5.2 Make sure your phone’s location service and cellular data or wifi is on. If you cannot use data or wifi, please see the Troubleshooting section below. While in settings, also consider turning your phone’s screen brightness up.

5.3 Be very careful with your phone. Do not drop your phone into the water!

5.4 Open the EyeOnWater app on your phone.

Because you have already registered your device, the database remembers you and you do not have to sign in each time you record a measurement.

5.5 There may be a short intro, so after that, click Get Started.

5

Now, please read the rest of this document before starting to measure.

Step 5 Continued: Measuring, step by step, using the EyeOnWater app

5.6 With the sun at your back, hold your phone in portrait orientation and point your phone’s camera down toward the water, as directed by the app.

Your phone should be horizontal to the water, and the app will let you know if your phone is not horizontal enough. When your phone is in the correct position, the screen will change. Continue to hold your phone in that position.

5.7 Use the camera icon on the screen to take a photo of the water. The coordinates of the location are captured at this time.

5.8 If prompted, you can pinch and zoom in, until you just see water. The part of the image that remains should be the best representation of the water as you observe it. This will crop the photo, removing anything non-water from the image. Tap the green “DONE” at the bottom of your screen.

Please note: This image will not be saved on your phone.

5.9 At this point you can stop holding your phone over the water. If it is sunny out, you may want to find a shady place to continue.

Be sure to remove sunglasses. This could distort your measurement. Tri-colored bars will sit on top of two versions of your photo.

The photo you took appears on the

left.

On the right, there is a solid color, the app’s representation of the color of the water.

Swipe the tri-colored bars across your screen to compare each with the color of the water you are observing, and use these images to make a selection. No color will match exactly the color of the water, so pick the one that is closest. Tap the + icon on the section of the bar that best represents the color of the water. You can swipe the bars left and right to see all the color options.

Tip: You are looking for the closest match to the color of the water. The app helps you in this process by providing a simplified representation of the color of the water. It is up to you to pick the closest color to the water at the location you took the photo. This may feel subjective, but the more measurements you take AND the more measurements we all collect over time, the more useful your measurements will be.

6

Step 5 Continued: Measuring, step by step, using the EyeOnWater app

5.10 After you tap the “+” button on the color that best matches the color of the water, a new page pops up.

If it is raining, tap or slide the “Is it

raining?” button.

If you see the bottom, tap or slide the “Do you see the bottom?” button.

Moving the buttons to green means

yes.

Unless you are using a Secchi disk, do not say Yes to “Are you an expert?” Click the green “SEND” button at the bottom of the screen. This sends the image, your data, and the GPS location to eyeonwater.org.

5.11 When your see the “Thank you!” screen your measurement has been recorded and stored on your phone or uploaded to the website. This screen also shares more information about the measurement you just recorded.

Step 6: See your measurements online and confirm your phone was registered correctly.

Go to http://www.eyeonwater.org/color/welcome.php. Click “Login” in the upper right hand corner and complete the login process. You can do this on your device’s browser app or from your computer browser.

Just above the map, on the left-hand side of the screen, click on “My Measurements.” The map will zoom in to Casco Bay and show your measurements. If you do not see measurements, your phone was not registered properly, or your measurements have not been delivered to EyeOnWater. See below.

Please note: Times are in Greenwich Mean Time.

Troubleshooting:If you cannot use data or wifiWhile you do not have to use data or wifi while measuring, it is ideal. If you do not use data or wifi, there are a few additional steps you will need to take. Note: You will need to have your location services on.

Follow the steps above and then1. Before leaving your measuring location: Check to see if your data

is queued for upload:On the smartphone you use for measuring, open the EyeOnWater app.Click the menu icon in the upper left hand corner.Click “Queued Uploads”

If you don’t see anything in the queue, take another measurement.

2. Get to a place where you can connect to wifi.3. Reopen the EyeOnWater app.4. Click the menu icon in the upper left hand corner.

Click “Queued Uploads”Upload your observations

If you do not see your measurements online:• Try the “If you cannot use data or wifi” steps above.• Re-register your device again, repeating Step 3 above. 7

Step 7: Share on Social Media!

We want to stay up-to-date on the color measurements you are taking and celebrate your participation in this effort!

A great way to do this is to share selfies or photos of the scenery you see from your measurement location. We are on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and you can use the hashtags #cascobay and #colorbynumbers to show us how you are getting involved. This also encourages others to get involved! If you are not on Social Media and want to share your experience with us, send an email to volunteer@cascobay.org.

If at any time throughout this process you have questions, contact Friends of Casco Bay. During office hours, call us at (207) 799-8574. Outside office hours, call or text (207) 370-7553.

Thank you!

8Color By Numbers Manual (May 2018)

Notes:

May 25, 2018 11:49 AM© 2018 Friends of Casco Bay

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