Science with a smart phone

The presence or absence of frogs can tell researchers a lot about the environment, from where there might be a particular microclimate to how a development or invasive species impact the ecosystem.

“Frogs are great because you find them everywhere here,” said Dr. Renata Platenberg, a professor at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. “Anywhere they have a bit of moisture they will gather in a microclimate area.”

This month she kicked off the Great VI Frog Count, a citizen science project collecting recordings from this territory and the United States VI to learn more about which kinds of frogs live where.

Dr. Platenberg will combine audio recordings that she and volunteers are collecting and map them using the Global Positioning System.

Once the recordings are submitted, they’re run through a software programme that analyses the sounds and can identify which of the four subject frogs were present.

Through Tuesday, anyone can submit data they gather from here or the United States Virgin Islands.

To participate, go to a place away from road noise sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. and record two minutes of a voice memo on your smart phone. Use your compass or other location app to view your exact location (latitude and longitude points) and take a screenshot. E-mail both the location image and the audio file to  vi.frogcount@myuvi.net.

See the Oct. 15, 2015 edition for full coverage.

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