D3096: GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper: A free citizen science mobile app for larvae surveillance, identification and habitat mitigation

The GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper is a free mobile app. Funded by NASA, data obtained by citizen scientists is used to obtain in-situ data about where and when mosquito larvae are found in and around their communities. These data complement remotely-sensed environmental data from space that are routinely used in the development of predictive models of mosquito vector-borne disease.



A built-in taxonomic key enables the identification of three medically important genera-Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex, as well as invasive species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Importantly, the app collects not only scientific data but behavioral data. App users are asked to mitigate the mosquito habitats they identify by dumping out or covering containers.



All GLOBE Observer data is open and available as CSV or KML files or through an API (https://www.globe.gov/globe-data/retrieve-data), and can be explored using a map-based data interface https://www.globe.gov/globe-data/visualize-and-retrieve-data.The app is being employed worldwide in conjunction with several research and education projects funded through NSF, NASA, the U.S. Department of State and NIH. Introduce the app to citizen scientists (of all ages) in your region and contribute to a global scientific dataset while simultaneously raising awareness of vector borne disease and the importance of source reduction.