App to discover new species of wildlife in UAEby | 08-09-2015 01:07 |
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If Charles Darwin had a smartphone,it is likely that he would have downloaded the collector for GIS ,an app being used by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to help discover new species of wildlife in the UAE. Anil Kumar,the director of information management at the EAD said "There is definitely the possibility of one of the users discovering a new species,or an observation of a species that we thought went extinct". The EAD hopes that people use the app both for the possibility of discovering new species and to get public help in conservation efforts in the UAE. The app allows users to document instances of specimen,be it animal or plant,in real time,record whatever information they know about it and then upload it to the EAD for analysis. Khansa Al Blouki,the public engagement manager at the EAD said that people when they go to these wonderful areas in the UAE can use the app and contribute to a growing number of resources. However,the app doesn't only record data for use in field visits,it also has an urban wildlife option for those who want to use it in the city. Basically,you can take a photo of the species and send it to EAD,you never know,you might discover a new species.This information will be quality checked and validated to confirm the presence of the specimen and then it will be input in the data base and used for conservation efforts. Outside of that,occurences of certain specimens in the urban environment could indicate the presence of invasive species brought intentionally or unintentionally,by city dwellers,and could possibly prevent an ecological disruption. Thus,the app encourages people to contribute towards environmental conservation.The app is available for download,for all users.
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