INaturalist
iNaturalist is a citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. Users can upload photos and identifications of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms to contribute data for scientific research.
iNaturalist: Citizen Science Platform for Biodiversity Observation
iNaturalist is a citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. Users can upload photos and identifications of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms to contribute data for scientific research.
What is INaturalist?
iNaturalist is a popular citizen science platform and online social network used by naturalists, biologists, and nature enthusiasts to map and share observations of biodiversity across the globe. It enables users to record and share photographs and information about the plants, animals, fungi and other organisms they encounter in nature, which scientists and researchers can then access and use as data for their studies.
On iNaturalist, users can post images and details about the location, time, species name and other characteristics of organisms they have observed. The crowdsourced data is then validated and confirmed by the iNaturalist community or experts before being made available for download. Users earn rankings and reputation based on the quantity and quality of observations they contribute.
Some key features of iNaturalist include:
- Image recognition and suggestions to help identify species
- Customizable project and group capabilities for focused data collection
- User profile and stats showing personal observations over time
- Interactive maps and graphs showing recorded distributions of species
- Computer vision and crowdsourced identifications to confirm species
- Integration with external databases like GBIF and GenBank for taxonomy and DNA barcoding data
By engaging public participants around the world in documenting biodiversity, iNaturalist provides valuable open data to power science and conservation efforts.
INaturalist Features
Features
- Record and share observations of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms
- Upload photos to get help with identifications from the community
- View observations from the global community
- Explore species maps and graphs
- Join projects and help contribute data for scientific research
Pricing
- Freemium
Pros
Free to use
Large global community that helps with identifications
Contributes data to scientific research projects
Good for learning about local biodiversity and nature
Available as mobile apps and website
Cons
Identification accuracy depends on community, can be unreliable
Limited customization and control compared to paid tools
Potential privacy concerns sharing location data
Can be confusing for beginners
Mobile apps lack some features of website
Official Links
Reviews & Ratings
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