Introduction

In this era, which some have dubbed the “information revolution,” mobile devices are becoming faster, more powerful, and far more widespread in use than ever before (Snaddon et al., 2013). These platforms can provide extremely useful technology for both scientific research and outreach. One example of mobile applications (hereafter, apps) used for education is the AmphibiaWeb mobile app (Roderick, 2013), which we developed to access the AmphibiaWeb website and database (AmphibiaWeb, 2013). AmphibiaWeb currently (2 Oct 2013) contains 7187 species including descriptive species accounts for 2367 species, 6535 literature references, 564 sound files, 110 video files, and 28,582 photos of 3916 different amphibian species. This mobile app allows the user to browse through these resources and features lookup tools to view amphibians found at a user’s location or at a selected location, view

pictures, descriptions, and range maps, and hear calls of amphibians from almost anywhere in the world.

As the technologies of mobile devices expand, so do the possibilities of using mobile apps for scientific research and outreach. Not only are mobile devices becoming more powerful, but so are the servers that fuel their data (Snaddon et al., 2013), resulting in more data that can be put at the fingertips of mobile users. In addition to the data, scientific mobile apps can also exploit the increasing technological functionality of these devices, including rapidly improving GPS, Internet access in remote locations, sound, imaging, and video.

AmphibiaWeb (AmphibiaWeb, 2013) is a website that stores and provides up-to-date information, images, sounds, and range maps on amphibian biology, taxonomy, conservation and outreach, in addition to raising public awareness of increasing amphibian declines worldwide. The purpose of developing a mobile app for this website is to allow users easy access to this vast information on-the-go. The app allows users to browse amphibian species in their geographic region or at any other location by country, state (for the USA), or province (for Canada). Users can organize searches by image, common or scientific name, or order (frogs/toads, salamanders/newts, caecilians), and then view photos, descriptions, and range maps, and listen to vocalizations.

Herpetology Notes, volume 7: 109-113 (2014) (published online on 17 February 2014)

The AmphibiaWeb app and use of mobile devices in research and outreach

Melrose Roderick* and Joyce Gross

1Berkeley Natural History Museums and Field Stations, 3101 VLSB #3070, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA.

*corresponding author; e-mail: bnhmfs.apps@gmail.com

Abstract. The AmphibiaWeb app is an application for mobile devices to access the AmphibiaWeb database and associated information. Currently on Version 2, the app allows users to browse amphibian species (including frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians) in the their region or elsewhere, see photos, hear calls, view range maps, and access the AmphibiaWeb website online. Creating the app involved solving a series of problems associated with biodiversity data, their storage, and access. To date, the app has been downloaded to over 3400 devices (not including updates) in 62 nations across all geographic regions of the world. Within-app metrics show the app is used worldwide and in many languages. Most users use the app for local information, but also to search other geographic regions and look up particular amphibians. These data suggest the app functions as a global research tool, but also has value for outreach and general education. Challenges continue and suggested features are discussed.

Keywords. Anura, Caudata, Gymnophiona, mobile application, biodiversity database, citizen science.

Melrose Roderick & Joyce Gross110

Materials and Methods

App Functionality.—When the app is launched, the user is presented with three options for browsing amphibians: species near the user’s current location, species at a selected point, and species that meet a search criterion, along with an Options menu and an About page (Fig. 1). The current number of known amphibian species are dynamically retrieved from the database and presented on the home page as well. The app presents a fast and easy way to browse through taxa, either by image or by name. In the first version, we did not give the user the option to browse through the amphibians by image and received critical feedback explaining how it was absolutely necessary for the average user to be able to see the amphibian images when browsing. We added this functionality to the app and it is now the primary method used to browse the amphibians, as opposed to browsing by scientific name. When the user selects an amphibian, the app presents the species account page (Fig. 1, bottom-left), which displays an image, the scientific name, common name, and description, along with the option to view more images of higher resolution in CalPhotos (CalPhotos, 2013), view the range map of the species, hear the mating call if a sound file exists for the species, even view the website for more information.

App Development and Data Access.—Development of this app began in 2011 in consultation with the AmphibiaWeb advisory board (AmphibiaWeb, 2013). The app is written in Objective-C using the Xcode programming environment for iOS devices (Apple, 2013), with the intent to release it in the near future for other platforms, such as Android, Windows, or mobile web app (Serrano, Hernantes and Gallardo, 2013).

Developing the app presented several challenges. First, we needed to determine the best way to send data to and from the app. Because the scientific data on AmphibiaWeb are constantly updated and expanded, the app could not simply store these data on the device and remain current. Furthermore, the size of the data associated with all species would be too large for most mobile devices. Thus, the app itself does not store data, but instead requests them from the server when needed. This ensures the app will always have the most recent information available on the server, while taking up little disk space on the device.

The app uses AmphibiaWeb’s Representational State Transfer (REST) web services, which take specific requests for data via a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

and perform MySQL (My Structured Query Language) database queries. Data are returned in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format or, in the case of range map requests, KMZ format, a readable, zipped version of KML (Keyhole Markup Language). Drawbacks to this approach include its reliance on Internet connections. Since connectivity cannot be guaranteed in all places in the field and international access can be prohibitively expensive, the app will not be useful under those circumstances. In later versions, we plan to allow the user to save amphibian species information on the device prior to going to the field for future look-ups without a network connection.

Range Maps.—A second difficulty involved plotting the species ranges on the map. These files are sent from the server as KMZ files, readable, zipped versions of KML files, an open format standard for many map applications (OCG, 2008). The KMZ file is unzipped within the app and then read in KML format, which was not straightforward because the KMZ files, which are provided generously as shapefiles by IUCN (IUCN, 2013) and converted to KML format, were not readable by the Apple KML parser. Therefore, we had to convert the shapefiles on the server to a scheme that the Apple maps could process, allowing the plotting of all the range maps available. Thirdly, optimization of the user experience was also an aspect that required attention, including the attempts to make the app intuitive in structure and easy-to-use, while still retaining all of the original features. We have released two versions of the app, each with several minor updates, designed to address these optimizations. Approximately ten beta testers reviewed each version and update, evaluating features and reporting bugs. Additionally, we benefited from suggestions from the many users of the app, including both researchers and the public.

App Use Metrics.—Numbers of unique downloads to devices as well as the number of downloaded updates are available though the iTunes Connect feature of Apple’s Developer tools (Apple, 2012). In version 2.0.3 of the app, we added the ability to track simple aspects of its use with the program Flurry Analytics (Flurry, 2013), with which we could collect statistics regarding the user base of the AmphibiaWeb app. The app does not collect, nor ask for, any personal or private information and does not link any information available on Flurry Analytics with the name of the user or any other identification. These captured metrics have been critical for us to understand how people use the app and help guide future development.

The AmphibiaWeb app and use of mobile devices in research and outreach 111

Figure 1. Screen shots from the AmphibiaWeb app of opening page, taxon browser, species account page, and species range map.

Results and Discussion

Use in Research and Outreach.—Based on statistics of use and user feedback, the AmphibiaWeb app has been useful for both research and outreach, even in ways we did not expect. As of 29 November 2013, the app has been downloaded to 3462 devices (not including updates) in 62 nations across all geographic regions of the world. Updates of the app are typically downloaded within a few days of release.

Since the implementation of the analytics database (19 June-28 Nov 2013), 1028 unique users have used our app with 4469 sessions (the number of times the app has been opened and used). These data indicate the app is used globally, with most use from devices registered in North America and Europe, but also South America, Asia, Central America, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East (Fig. 2). User languages are also diverse, though the primary use is in English (Fig. 3).

The usage analytics also give some indication as to how the app is used. In monitoring the initial use of the app on the first screen, over half (53%) of the users use the app initially to search for amphibians in their current location (Fig. 4). The app is also used to search for amphibians in other locations (34%), and to search the AmphibiaWeb database for particular amphibians (13%).

We have heard directly from researchers and other university employees about how they use the app. One of the most interesting ways this app has been used in the field was to locate frogs. A researcher reported playing the frog calls from the app eliciting response from the frogs in the vicinity. The researcher was able to hear where the frog responses were coming from and could thereby locate particular taxa of interest. Researchers have also reported using the app for quick look-ups of amphibian data, specifically the range maps of where each amphibian lives. In terms of outreach, we have less information, but we have heard anecdotally that the app has been useful in allowing users to learn more about the amphibians they see everyday in their backyard or in the wild.

Future Developments.—Even though this app has proven popular and useful, there is still much room for improvement. One feature we are currently developing is improving the accuracy of locating amphibians near a user’s location. Figure 4 reveals that the “Finding Amphibians Near Current Location” feature is used more than 50% of the time and, thus, it is very important for this feature to be as fast and accurate as possible. Currently, the app is limited to finding the amphibians

Figure 2. Usage frequencies for the AmphibiaWeb app in different global regions during the period 19 June – 28 November 2013. Total sessions observed: 4469.

Melrose Roderick & Joyce Gross112

Figure 3. Usage frequencies for the AmphibiaWeb app in different languages during the period 19 June – 28 Novermber 2013 for languages representing over 1% of use.

Figure 4. Usage frequency for three main features of the AmphibiaWeb app during the period 19 June – 28 November 2013.

in a country, state (for the USA), or province (for Canada). Now that AmphibiaWeb has access to a faster server with additional disk space, we have the capability to add functionality for finding amphibians within a few miles of a given point as currently provided for frogs by the app Frog Finder (Choe and Rice, 2012). By looking up species with range maps intersecting with one’s location, we will be able to provide a more precise list of amphibians around a given location. As noted earlier, we are also investigating caching functionalities to save the data for certain amphibians that one wishes to view without requiring network access. We are currently developing a feature for the app that would allow users to upload amphibian images to CalPhotos (CalPhotos, 2013).

We also see a need to increase access globally. Currently, almost all species accounts on the AmphibiaWeb server are in English, with a few in other languages, mostly French. Considering the app download and use rate over various continents (Fig. 2) and languages (Fig. 3), it becomes evident that the app must offer support for other languages in order to enhance its accessibility, in particular to users less familiar with the English language and those in developing countries. We are discussing the possibility of additional languages, including the use of Google Translation APIs, but there are concerns about accuracy and functionality with scientific descriptions and taxon names. Finally, we hope to expand this app to other platforms, namely Android and Windows.

Future of Mobile Devices for Natural History.—AmphibiaWeb is one example of the capabilities of smart phone apps to facilitate scientific research and outreach by providing mobile access to an online website and database. Another use of scientific mobile apps is illustrated by iNaturalist (Ueda and Loarie, 2013), which allows users to record, share, and document observations of the natural world. We have discussed the possibility of linking iNaturalist to the AmphibiaWeb app to allow users to document field observations. eBird (eBird, 2013) is another app that is widely used by the public to record bird observations with a GPS location and a timestamp and also provides data for addressing scientific questions (Wood et al., 2011). These and other apps clearly illustrate a new technology-driven future for citizen science and research (Hochachka et al., 2012; Snaddon et al., 2013).

Acknowledgements. We thank David Wake, David Blackburn, David Cannatella, Michelle Koo, George Roderick, Kristina Schierenbeck, Vance Vredenburg, and the AmphibiaWeb Team for suggestions and encouragement. AmphibiaWeb is supported by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Information Services and Technology, UC Berkeley, as well as many herpetology students and classes that have contributed species accounts. This app started as a high school programming project for Mel Roderick.

References

AmphibiaWeb (2013): Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Available at: http://amphibiaweb.org. Last accessed on 2 October 2013.

Apple (2012): Apple Developer Tools, version iOS7. https://developer.apple.com. Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA.

Apple (2013): Xcode, version 5. https://developer.apple.com/xcode. Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA.

CalPhotos (2013): A database of photos of plants, animals, habitats and other natural history subjects. Available at: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/. Last accessed on 16 November 2013.

Choe, S., Rice, J. (2012): FrogFinder App, version 1.0. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frog-finder/id564537481?mt=8. University of Utah, Salt Lake, Utah.

eBird (2013): eBird, Audubon and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Available at: http://www.ebird.org. Last accessed on 16 November 2013.

Flurry (2013): Flurry Analytics, version iOS7. http://www.flurry.com/flurry-analytics.html. Flurry, San Francisco, CA.

Hochachka, W.M., Fink, D., Hutchinson, R.A., Sheldon, D., Wong, W.-K., Kelling, S. (2012): Data-intensive science applied to broad-scale citizen science. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 27: 130-137.

IUCN (2013): IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2013.1. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. Last accessed on 16 November 2013.

OCG (2008): OGC® Approves KML as Open Standard. Available at: http://www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/pressreleases/857. Last accessed on 16 November 2013.

Roderick, M. (2013): AmphibiaWeb App, version 2.0.1. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amphibiaweb/id476890286?mt=8. Berkeley Natural History Museums and Field Stations, Berkeley, CA.

Serrano, N., Hernantes, J., Gallardo, G. (2013): Mobile web apps. IEEE Software 30: 22-27.

Snaddon, J., Petrokofsky, G., Jepson, P., Willis, K.J. (2013): Biodiversity technologies: tools as change agents. Biology Letters 9: 20121029.

Ueda, K., Loarie, S. (2013): iNaturalist. Available at: http://www.inaturalist.org. Last accessed on 16 November 2013.

Wood, C., Sullivan, B., Iliff, M., Fink, D., Kelling, S. (2011): eBird: Engaging Birders in Science and Conservation. PLoS Biol 9: e1001220.

Accepted by Zoltán Nagy

The AmphibiaWeb app and use of mobile devices in research and outreach 113