Latest news with #citizenscience
BBC News
13 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Army of "citizen scientists" to help check Wiltshire air quality
A council is recruiting what it describes as an army "citizen scientists" to monitor local air newly formed Wiltshire Community Air Network is due to launch with 100 air quality sensors, which will be installed in air pollution hotspots around the sensors measure PM2.5 air pollution, small particles in the air that can increase the risk of health problems and be damaging to the of the public and organisations including schools and hospitals will be asked to mount a sensor outside their home or building. The project is Wiltshire Council's first step in gathering evidence on local PM2.5 sensors, which are about the size of a mobile phone, need to be plugged into mains power and have access to a stable internet council will be allocating sensors to each of the 18 community areas of Wiltshire based on the size of the population, prioritising applications from schools, NHS buildings, and supported housing data from the sensors will be publicly available online, so that people can see air pollution levels across Wiltshire in real time. Gary Tomsett, environmental control and protection team manager at Wiltshire Council said that the new project was a necessary step forward: "Existing monitoring indicates that the air quality in Wiltshire is predominantly very good."However, there are a small number of locations where the combination of traffic, road layout, and physical features of an area result in pollutants being trapped so that concentrations increase to unacceptable levels," he polluted routes include London Road in Salisbury, Warminster Road in Westbury, Wadworth Corner in Devizes and Mason's Lane in Bradford on council currently has professional-grade air quality monitoring stations in Salisbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Marlborough, and Devizes, but the equipment is expensive, costing tens of thousands of pounds to purchase and maintain. What is PM2.5 and Why does it matter? PM2.5 pollution is defined as small particles in the air that can increase the risk of health problems and be damaging to the most common sources of PM2.5 particulates are vehicle emissions, industrial discharges, and biomass burning – including domestic wood tiny particulates can get into the human bloodstream through the lungs, and are responsible for an estimated 29,000 deaths in the UK every is not currently part of the UK Government's Local Air Quality Management framework, so local authorities are not required to monitor and report PM2.5 levels.
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Citizen scientists sought to catch mosquitoes, help monitor disease-carrying species
Social Sharing As mosquito season ramps up, the University of Calgary and the city are calling on citizen scientists to help them study the potential health impacts of the invasive northern house mosquito — an insect capable of transmitting diseases from birds to humans. Calgarians can take part in the research by picking up a mosquito trapping kit at Ralph Klein Park or the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Each kit contains a tube to catch a mosquito in and a tracking paper to detail the time and place it was caught. "This will help us know what species are attracted to people in our area, what's happening in our parks and what mosquitos we might want to take a look at closer in the future," said John Soghigian, an assistant professor in the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary. After catching the mosquitoes (dead or alive), participants can drop off their kits in boxes located within the parks. Culex pipiens, most commonly known as the northern house mosquito, is of particular concern in Calgary, according to Soghigian. That's because while it mostly feeds on birds, it can also bite humans, making it a potential transmitter of the West Nile virus, among other diseases. Alex Coker, the city's integrated pest management technician, said mosquitos numbers are starting to increase around the city as temperatures climb, but that's typical for this time of year. According to Coker, Calgary has about 35 to 40 mosquito species. The city spreads out mosquito traps in areas like parks to monitor and research the insects. While Coker said they haven't caught many yet this year, mosquito numbers usually peak by mid-July. "I would say right now it's probably like under 100, although we have had some times where we've gotten more than that this time of year," she said. "We might get maybe 1,000 or a few thousand in a trap in a night." To help manage mosquito populations, Coker said Calgarians should dump any standing water in their backyard regularly, like bird baths or rain barrels. Citizen science Soghigian's lab studies mosquitos caught in traps across the city, tracking invasive species and conducting other research projects about mosquito diversity in the region and the risks those insects pose. The idea to involve citizen scientists came from a project in Newfoundland, where scientists used it as a way to augment their own surveillance of mosquitos. Through community engagement, those researchers found some species of mosquitoes that they couldn't find with their normal traps, Soghigian explained. "Sometimes it's hard to get at mosquitoes when they're actually actively seeking the hosts. So this helps us do that," he said. Last year, about 30 people participated in the program from Calgary, alongside some participants from Lethbridge and Edmonton, but Soghigian said he hopes to get more people involved this time around. The northern house fly The northern house fly was first found in Alberta by pest management technicians in Edmonton in 2018. The insect is believed to be native to Europe and North Africa. "One of the things that surprised me most about Alberta is the speed at which an invasive mosquito has moved across the province," said Soghigian. "That's a big focus of research in my lab is figuring out how this mosquito got to Alberta and why it's so successful here." The Culex pipiens is also to blame for starting the spread of West Nile virus in North America, according to Soghigian, though he noted that native species can also spread the disease. While mosquitos native to Alberta usually thrive near larger bodies of waters, the northern mosquito thrives in both wet and dry conditions. "It's pretty different from our other native mosquitoes because it's really good at living alongside us," Soghigian said.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Shelly Beach indicates extent of plastic pollution in world's oceans
Shelly Beach is situated in the remote Nuyts Wilderness on Western Australia's south coast, but its isolation has not spared it from the global issue of plastic pollution. The small pieces of plastic collected here by tour guide Gary Muir and his guests have provided crucial data for a recent University of Western Australia study. Peter Speldewinde oversaw the project by student Agustiawan, who looked at what type of plastic was washing up and why. "It only comes along once in a while you get this kind of data," Dr Speldewinde said. For nearly a decade Mr Muir and his tour groups have cruised by boat from Walpole to the isolated mooring spot before taking a short walk through along the beach to collect plastic. "You take people to this pristine beach and it does look pristine — until you start looking for plastics," he said. Plastic pollution on south coast beaches in WA is limited, but it is indicative of the wider problem. "It gets scary when you've just collected, in 120 metres, 100 pieces on a beach," Mr Muir said. "You think, 'There's nothing here' — you times that by nine and you get [roughly] a kilometre, then times that by how many beaches you have, you go, 'Wow.'" People on Mr Muir's eco-cruise take on the role of citizen scientists as they scour a 120m stretch of sand at the high-tide mark. "It's one way to allow people who come out with us as part of ecotourism to have an understanding and awareness of our world and also people's role within it," Mr Muir said. The devastating impact plastic pollution can have on wildlife is seen on Lord Howe Island, off Australia's east coast, where seabirds have become so full of plastic they crackle and crunch. The study found wind direction was a key driver in the accumulation of plastic on the beach and that wind strength had a limited role. The Raman spectroscopy analysis technique was used to help identify the type of polymer. Most of the samples found were high-density polyethylene, a common hard plastic used in objects such as crates and bottles. Agustiawan said he was hoping to complete more research on microplastics in his home country of Indonesia, including an examination of how much was transported through currents to WA. "I think microplastics is one of the biggest problems in the world right now," he said. "Even if we stopped using plastic today, microplastics will still be a problem 100 years from now because plastic will last a really long time." Agustiawan said a significant amount of the waste collected at Walpole was comprised of pellets known as nurdles. The lentil-sized pellets are melted down to form the basis of most plastic products. Some of the tiny plastic pellets found at the Walpole beach were from 2017, when the MSC Susanna lost two containers, which resulted in more than 40 tonnes of nurdles ending up in the water off the South African city of Durban.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Shelley Beach indicates extent of plastic pollution in world's oceans
Shelley Beach is situated in the remote Nuyts Wilderness on Western Australia's south coast, but its isolation has not spared it from the global issue of plastic pollution. The small pieces of plastic collected here by tour guide Gary Muir and his guests have provided crucial data for a recent University of Western Australia study. Peter Speldewinde oversaw the project by student Agustiawan, who looked at what type of plastic was washing up and why. "It only comes along once in a while you get this kind of data," Dr Speldewinde said. For nearly a decade Mr Muir and his tour groups have cruised by boat from Walpole to the isolated mooring spot before taking a short walk through along the beach to collect plastic. "You take people to this pristine beach and it does look pristine — until you start looking for plastics," he said. Plastic pollution on south coast beaches in WA is limited, but it is indicative of the wider problem. "It gets scary when you've just collected, in 120 metres, 100 pieces on a beach," Mr Muir said. "You think, 'There's nothing here' — you times that by nine and you get [roughly] a kilometre, then times that by how many beaches you have, you go, 'Wow.'" People on Mr Muir's eco-cruise take on the role of citizen scientists as they scour a 120m stretch of sand at the high-tide mark. "It's one way to allow people who come out with us as part of ecotourism to have an understanding and awareness of our world and also people's role within it," Mr Muir said. The devastating impact plastic pollution can have on wildlife is seen on Lord Howe Island, off Australia's east coast, where seabirds have become so full of plastic they crackle and crunch. The study found wind direction was a key driver in the accumulation of plastic on the beach and that wind strength had a limited role. The Raman spectroscopy analysis technique was used to help identify the type of polymer. Most of the samples found were high-density polyethylene, a common hard plastic used in objects such as crates and bottles. Agustiawan said he was hoping to complete more research on microplastics in his home country of Indonesia, including an examination of how much was transported through currents to WA. "I think microplastics is one of the biggest problems in the world right now," he said. "Even if we stopped using plastic today, microplastics will still be a problem 100 years from now because plastic will last a really long time." Agustiawan said a significant amount of the waste collected at Walpole was comprised of pellets known as nurdles. The lentil-sized pellets are melted down to form the basis of most plastic products. Some of the tiny plastic pellets found at the Walpole beach were from 2017, when the MSC Susanna lost two containers, which resulted in more than 40 tonnes of nurdles ending up in the water off the South African city of Durban.
CBC
24-05-2025
- CBC
N.L. using artificial intelligence to track and tell stories of humpback whales
Newfoundland and Labrador's tourism department is having a whale of a time using artificial intelligence to help visitors learn more about the province's humpback whale population. Hello Humpback is a new website allowing users to upload their whale watching photos in order to help track humpback whales off the coast of Newfoundland. Artificial intelligence then compiles that information into a story. Darrell Smith, director of marketing for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, says no two whale tails are the same. "Whether it's the markings on the tail or the ridges and whatnot, every tail is kind of like a human fingerprint. So of course, every one of those is unique," Smith told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning. Once a photo is uploaded, Smith says Hello Humpback will search through a database from Happy Whale, a group that has tracked humpback whale migration for years, which users can then search through. "This is all done using image recognition software," Smith said. "Then it'll show you the whale that you have seen yourself and will say, 'OK, this guy's been in the Dominican Republic and was recently seen off North Point.'" It then uses AI to generate a story, details on sea conditions, and a specific gender for each whale according to the data Happy Whale has tracked. When users upload their pictures of whales, Hello Humpback's website says they are contributing to citizen science. "The AI model was actually built in our brand tone," Smith said. "Even though Happy Whale tracks the whales all around the world, this gives it a real unique Newfoundland and Labrador approach." Smith says they didn't hire local writers because AI can generate a whale's story much faster. "If somebody is out on the boat or on a hiking trail taking a picture, they can upload it and that [story] comes back at you right away," he said. According to Hello Humpback's website, Newfoundland and Labrador hosts the world's largest population of humpbacks every year and currently lists the story of some whales like Ryan and Michael, both last spotted in Newfoundland waters in 2022.
