iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a citizen science project and online social network for sharing observations of biodiversity. Users upload photos or sounds of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms, together with date and location, to help document species occurrences around the world. Observations can be discussed and identified by community members, and users can link observations to projects and locations.

How it works: After submitting an observation, other users may propose identifications. When an observation has a consensus or is confirmed by experts, it can be designated as research-grade, making it more suitable for scientific use. The platform provides taxonomy, observation metadata, and a map of sightings.

Availability and data: iNaturalist offers web access and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The data are publicly available under open licenses and can be used for research and education; the platform provides an API and data exports, and iNaturalist records are integrated with other biodiversity data networks such as GBIF.

History and governance: iNaturalist originated as a community project and is now maintained by the California Academy of Sciences as a public platform. It emphasizes open data, community-based identification, and global participation in biodiversity monitoring.

Impact and usage: The platform is widely used by scientists, educators, and conservationists to monitor species distributions, track invasive species, and engage the public in nature observation.