MacroInvertebrates

A mobile interface for the Vermont Macroinvertebrate Database - http://wikieducator.org/Rivers/home. The mobile app updates itself with the website on request and has an easy-to-use interface to help researchers in the field quickly identify the macroinvertebrates they might find in a Vermont stream. This was a student project for CS295/CS395 - App Development & Wireless Devices taught by University of Vermont Associate Professor Christian Skalka. The student team consisted of: Elissa Benedetto, Jeremy Gould, My Mai, Lara Nargozian, and Colum Smith. The database was originally created by the VT EPSCoR Center for Workforce Development and Diversity (VT EPSCoR CWDD) to help with the identification of numerous macroinvertebrates in Vermont waterways. The CWDD continues to add to the WikiEducator site, developed by Declan McCabe, Biology Professor at Saint Michael’s College, which has individual pages for streams throughout Vermont to help identify the approximately 10 most common macroinvertebrates found in each stream, representing more than 95% of the organisms one would find in that stream. This resource has been assembled based upon samples taken by Vermont EPSCoR interns and high school participants between 2008 and 2013. Contributors are far too numerous to mention but we wish to acknowledge Brian Cunningham for establishing the initial structure of the tailored web resources in 2009 and Erin Hayes-Pontius for developing the bulk of the content and photographs between 2009 and 2011. Projects, such as this mobile app, help complement the innovation and workforce development efforts of VT EPSCoR and enhance communications outreach. This app is maintained by Steve Exler, Vermont EPSCoR’s Technologist. Support provided by Vermont EPSCoR with funds from the National Science Foundation Grant EPS-1101317. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.