[Coral-List] coral bleaching & reef health citizen scientist project

[Braddock Linsley]

Dear Coral-List members,
I am writing to ask for your help spreading the word about a new citizen science project to monitor coral bleaching and reef health world-wide. As you are aware, a global-scale bleaching event is underway associated the current 2016 El Niño event. We are launching a project to see if we can gather some simple, but targeted, information about the spatial extent of reef health and bleaching status through the direct observation of coral reefs by scientists and also motivated citizen scientists, divers, surfers and other ocean enthusiasts. We hope to help better understand the bleaching and recovery process and to also document where reefs remain healthy.
We have termed the project “Bleach Patrol". Bleach Patrol is currently a collaboration between scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the social networking app goFlow and the World Surf League. The goal of the project is to use this smart phone app to record a few simple observations about coral bleaching extent and percent live coral cover at geo-located sites, in real time, by incorporating reports from citizen scientists around the world.  Users can also upload photo’s and notes about what they have observed. Reports can also be directly posted through our web site. All data is to be made publicly available. 
The modified goFlow app is now available for free download and we are in the process of contacting potentially interested groups world-wide.  Below our links for: 1.) the goFlow app, 2.) our web site about the project and 3.) a 1 page summary sheet. 
Links for downloading the free goFlow app:
www.goflow.me/uct <http://www.goflow.me/uct>
Links for more information about the Project
www.ldeo.columbia.edu/bleachpatrol <http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/bleachpatrol> 
http://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/184455/saving-the-worlds-reefs <http://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/184455/saving-the-worlds-reefs>
Link for downloading the Coral Bleach Patrol 1 page summary sheet:
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~blinsley/Dr._B._K_Linsley/Bleach_Patrol_Summary_Sheet.html <http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~blinsley/Dr._B._K_Linsley/Bleach_Patrol_Summary_Sheet.html>
 
Please contact me with any questions or post questions/comments to
bleachpatrol at ldeo.columbia.edu <mailto:bleachpatrol at ldeo.columbia.edu> . 
Many thanks

Brad Linsley

Dr. Braddock K. Linsley
Lamont Research Professor
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Director, Stable Isotope Laboratory, New Core Lab 212
Office Geoscience 104
61 Route 9W
Palisades, NY 10964

Office: 845-365-8306
blinsley at ldeo.columbia.edu <mailto:blinsley at ldeo.columbia.edu>
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~blinsley/Dr._B._K_Linsley/Brad_Linsley_HOME.html <http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~blinsley/Dr._B._K_Linsley/Brad_Linsley_HOME..html>