CoastSnap as a citizen science tool for coastal monitoring

experience from Pacheco beach (Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil)

Abstract

Research Purpose: This study evaluates the performance of the CoastSnap project and its contribution to monitoring the beach-cliff system on a stretch of Pacheco beach (Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil), offering an integrated view of its applications.
Methodology: CoastSnap is a low-cost international initiative for monitoring the coastal landscape with various applications, incorporating morphodynamic monitoring of beaches, identification of risks and hazards, and occupation dynamics. It is based on citizen science as the main vector for the production of scientific knowledge, involving researchers and non-expert citizens. It uses a metal support installed on the beach to position smartphones, allowing users to capture photos and send them via QR code to the project database. After screening, approved images are aligned and processed in MATLAB with the CoastSnap Toolbox, allowing the extraction of the coastline and observation of coastal dynamics.
Findings: In the end, the data shows that the beach width ranged from 95 to 134 m. Between 2021 and 2024, 319 photos were taken, with the most activity in 2023 and 2024, with 105 and 124 photos, respectively, with July, August, and weekends being the busiest times. The highest frequency of records occurred at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., and 5 p.m., highlighting the preferred times of beachgoers. In addition, activities such as swimming, walking, leisure, mass movements, and the morphodynamic stability of the beach were revealed.
Originality/Value: Among the potential benefits of CoastSnap are its ease of replication, low cost, continuous data, and promotion of environmental awareness. However, the project faced challenges such as reduced image uploads during periods of extreme heat, discarding non-standard records, and periods of downtime due to damage to the station.