Observation.org
Type of site | Citizen science |
---|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
URL | observation |
Commercial | No |
Registration | Optional |
Launched | 2004 |
Current status | Active |
Observation.org is a worldwide platform of
History
The history of Observation International started in 2003 with the website Waarneming.nl. In 2017 Waarneming.nl counted 50 million observations.[3] Waarneming.be followed in 2008. There were 5000 daily visitors and a total of 1.5 million after 5 years.[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic location data of observations were hidden to prevent gathering of bird watchers.[5]
Quality assurance
Quality assurance measures on Observation.org is managed by established species experts responsible for curating the reference set of observations.[6] Automated validation, supported by artificial intelligence, uses this reference set to aid validators in managing the extensive dataset. However, human experts retain final authority in all validation matters.[7][8]
Open data
The observations that have been approved are shared as open data on Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).[9] The dataset comprises approximately 82 million occurrences, 19 million annotated photos[10] and 69,000 annotated sound recordings.[11] Observation.org is the third largest publisher of the world on GBIF.[12]
Use of Observation.org data
As of December 2023, more than 1,700 research results have been published that cite the Observation.org dataset on GBIF[13], often in the fields of ecology, conservation, climate change. This research includes for example the discovery of new species for a country [14][15][16], documentation of changes in behavior[17][18], monitoring invasive alien species[19][20][21][22][23], finding causes of local extinction [24] and tracking zoonoses such as Avian influenza[25]. Other examples are the integration of nature data into national research programmes[26][27] and European biodiversity projects[28][29]. The annotated Observation.org photos are used to train automatic species recognition models.[30][31]
Users of Observation.org regularly participate in Bioblitzes to collaboratively collect nature observations. Examples of these Bioblitzes are the City Nature Challenge[32][33] and the Biomaratón de Otoño in Spain[34].
Public Perception
- The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology recommends the app ObsIdentify beside others for detection of alien species.[35]
- As apps for identification NatureSpot recommends seek and ObsIdentify.[36]
- The Sussex Wildlife Trust finds that ObsIdentify works particulary well with invertebrates.[37]
- ObsIdentify, iNaturalist, seek, iRecord and Picture This are the favorite identifying apps for the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN)[38]
- Birdwatch (magazine) UK draws a positive conclusion after testing ObsIdentify. It is easy to use and provides a lot of information.[39]
International names
In the Netherlands, Observation.org is primarily known as Waarneming.nl[40]. In the Dutch Caribbean, the name Observation.org is used[41]. In Belgium, the platform is primarily known as Waarnemingen.be[42] (Flanders) and Observations.be[43] (Wallonia).
References
- ^ "Statistics". Observation.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Observation International". observation-international.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "50 miljoen waarnemingen op Waarneming.nl - Vroege Vogels - BNNVARA". Vroege Vogels (in Dutch). 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ Vanreusel, Wouter (2012-12-03). "Waarnemingen.be rondt de kaap van 10 miljoen". www.naturetoday.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ van den Buijs, Dennis (2020-03-26). "Natuurpunt verbergt waarnemingen zeldzame vogels:"Samenscholing spotters vermijden"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ "Validation". Observation.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^
Van Eupen, Camille; Maes, Dirk; Herremans, Marc; Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.; Somers, Ben; Luca, Stijn (2021-03-15). "The impact of data quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data on species distribution model performance". Ecological Modelling. 444. hdl:1854/LU-8693490.
- ^ "Biodiversitätsdaten, Citizen Science und Online-Erfassungssysteme" (PDF). ANLiegen Natur (in German). 43. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Observation.org". gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Search occurrences -- Observation.org Image". gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Search occurrences -- Observation.org Audio". gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Search datasets". gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Resources search -- Observation.org". gbif.org.
- ^ "Hittegolf bracht Afrikaanse oranje zonnewijzer naar België". natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Spoorkrekel duikt voor het eerst op in België". natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Twee nieuwe sprinkhanen in 2022: grote spitskop en spoorkrekel" (PDF). hetnatuurhistorisch.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^
Herremans, Marc; Gielen, Karin; Van Kerckhoven, Jos; Vanormelingen, Pieter; Veraghtert, Wim; Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.; Maes, Dirk (2021-07-29). "Abundant Citizen Science Data Reveal That the Peacock Butterfly Aglais io Recently Became Bivoltine in Belgium". Insects. 12 (8): 683. PMID 34442249.
- ^ Dufour, Paul; et al. "Are Red-rumped Swallows starting to winter in the Western Palearctic?". Dutch Birding. 42: 111–113.
- ^ Johnson, Brian Alan; Mader, André Derek; Dasgupta, Rajarshi; Kumar, Pankaj (March 2020). "Citizen science and invasive alien species: An analysis of citizen science initiatives using information and communications technology (ICT) to collect invasive alien species observations". Global Ecology and Conservation. 21: e00812. .
- ^ "Eerste vondst van de Aziatische hoornaar Vespa velutina nigrithorax in Nederland (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen (in Dutch). 49: 1–10. 2017.
- ^ "De opmars van de Aziatische hoornaar (Vespa velutina) naar Nederland" (PDF). Entomologische Berichten (in Dutch). 78. 2018.
- ^
Sevgili, Hasan; Yilmaz, Kaan (2022). "Contributions of citizen scientists to monitoring alien species: the case study on Giant Asian Mantes, Hierodula tenuidentata and H. patellifera (Mantodea: Mantidae)". Zoology in the Middle East. 68 (4): 350–358. S2CID 254638249.
- ^ Ravoet, Jorgen; Barbier, Yvan; Klein, Wim (2017). "First observation of another invasive mud dauber wasp in Belgium: Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)". Bulletin de la Société royale belge d'Entomologie/Bulletin van de Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging voor Entomologie. 153: 40–42.
- ^ Gil-Tapetado, Diego; et al. (2023). "Aridity could have driven the local extinction of a common and multivoltine butterfly". Ecological Entomology. 48 (1): 40–54. . Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^
Saavedra, Irene; Rabadán-González, Julio; Aragonés, David; Figuerola, Jordi (2023-09-21). "Can Citizen Science Contribute to Avian Influenza Surveillance?". Pathogens. 12 (9): 1183. PMID 37764991.
- ^ "Libellenstatistiek". cbs.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ Boeken, Michiel (2019). "New avifaunal records and checklist for the island of Saba, Caribbean Netherlands". Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. 31: 57–64. .
- ^ "Contribution of Observation.org to Ebba2 (Second European Breeding Bird Atlas)". agris.fao.org. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ "EuroBirdPortal -- Partners". eurobirdportal.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ Schermer, Maarten; Hogeweg, Laurens (17 May 2018). Supporting citizen scientists with automatic species identification using deep learning image recognition models (PDF). Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 2. Biodiversity Information and Standards. .
- ^ Hogeweg, Laurens; Schermer, Maarten. Machine Learning Model for Identifying Dutch/ Belgian Biodiversity. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 3. Biodiversity Information and Standards. .
- ^ "City Nature Challenges in Österreich". citynaturechallenge.at (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ Kaufmann, Peter; et al. "Der Bioblitz Salzburg 2021 auf Observation.org – eine Citizen Science Bestandserfassung der urbanen Biodiversität Salzburgs" (PDF). Mitteilungen aus dem Haus der Natur Salzburg (in German). 28: 5–20. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ "Biomaratón de otoño 2022". miteco.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ Brown, Peter (2023). "Using Citizen Science with alien Species" (PDF). UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Apps for Identification". www.naturespot.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "The good, the bad and the middling - ID apps". Sussex Wildlife Trust. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Coleman, Ellie (2023-11-29). "Helpful Apps for Identifying Wildlife". Natural History Society of Northumbria. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Jones, Josh (August 2020). "The ideal companion - ObsIdentify app for IOS and Android". Pubhtml5. p. 49. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ "Interview with Hisko de Vries". overmeersevogels.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Observation.org". dcnanature.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "Natuurpunt Studie -- Waarnemingen.be". natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ ""OBSERVATIONS.BE", UN PORTAIL D'ENCODAGE POUR TOUS". natagora.be (in French). Retrieved 2023-12-25.