Oil spill emergency information reporting system: OilReporter.org

<a href="http://oilreporter.org/">OilReporter.org</a> is a system created to channel information from the general public on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. iPhone or Android mobile phone users can download a free app which permits them to report oiled beaches and animals directly from their phones or volunteer to help with the response. <br> <br> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/oil-reporter/id372961637">Click here to download app for iPhone</a><br> <br> <a href="http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/news_and_weather/oil-reporter_gxif.html">Click here to download app for Android</a></p> <p> Users are asked to reply to simple questions: <br> -- What can you see? (Photos or videos can also be uploaded)<br> -- How much oil do you see (0 is open water, 10 is thick oil)<br> -- Is there wildlife present? (No wildlife / Alive, no distress / Alive, some distress / Alive, very distressed / Dead)<br> -- Impact to the Wetlands (0 is no impact, 10 is severe impact)<br> The apps also offer a Twitter feed and links to volunteer organizations in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. <br> <br> For a general introduction see a CNN video from the morning of Saturday, May 29, 2010: <br> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2010/05/29/nr.armstrong.oil.spill.tech.cnn?iref=allsearch">New app creates mobile oil reporters: Tech expert Mario Armstrong explains how new technology can enable Gulf Coast residents to become mobile oil reporters.</a> <br> <br> Emergency crowdsourcing applications of this type were deployed successfully in Haiti after the earthquake earlier this year. Oil Reporter is an initiative of <a href="http://crisiscommons.org/">Crisis Commons</a>, a community of citizen volunteers, crisis response organizations, international humanitarian relief agencies, non-profits and private sector organizations that cultivate innovation in the use of technology for mobility and efficiency during crises. <a href="http://crisiscommons.org/2010/05/meet-oil-reporter/">Click here for Crisis Commons' account of Oil Reporter.</a> <br> <br> Oil Reporter data is open and available to anyone. <a href="http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/people/faculty/frost/">Dr. Eric Frost</a> and a team at <a href="http://citi.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University&#8217;s Visualization Center</a> will be the data repository for Oil Reporter and will lead a team of academic partners to provide technical assistance and products to response organizations by request. The apps were developed by <a href="http://intridea.com/">Intridea</a>.