USGS iCoast -- did the coast change?

Abstract

"iCoast -- Did the Coast Change?" is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research project that integrates crowdsourcing and citizen science techniques to develop a web application that allows interested volunteers to tag USGS oblique aerial photographs with qualitative information about the geomorphological changes to the coastline after Hurricane Sandy. iCoast has been collaboratively designed with coastal scientists to ensure that the crowdsourced data produced from iCoast can be used to help validate USGS predictive models of coastal change and to educate the public about coastal erosion after extreme storms. Different mechanisms for interacting with different crowds have been strategically implemented. Various sociotechnical challenges and unexpected outcomes have emerged.