The Lake Observer mobile app was designed by members of the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) for both research scientists and citizen scientists to record lake and water quality observations. Lake Observer is part of a crowd-sourcing platform to facilitate the collection and sharing of lake- and water-related information.
The Lake Observer allows for easy submission of geo-referenced data, using a smartphone or tablet, including observations of weather, water (temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and Secchi depth), ice cover, and aquatic vegetation (macrophytes, algae, metaphyton).
GLEON teamed up with the US Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the White House Climate Data Initiative to further develop Lake Observer. GLEON has also partnered with the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) and USEPA, to use the app for the annual Secchi Dip-In event. The app is also in use in state and local lake monitoring programs.
