The Synced citizen-science platform is already live and has an app for citizen data-collection with real-time map-based dashboards, integrated collaboration functionalities such as chat and multi-user collaboration. Synced apps are free and dashboards are provided free for public good projects.
Through our previous SCF grant, we’ve added a unique “wanted poster” workflow to make requests for specific data, and demonstrated the ability to pay bounties to incentivise data collection. These features are key to overcoming shortcomings in citizen science, and enabling the generation of datasets that are timely, detailed and affordable. We’re paying bounties in USDC on Stellar, allowing us to pay anyone arbitrary amounts globally, and for them to be able to off-ramp bounties via Moneygram without needing blockchain knowledge.
During this project we’re developing the bounty system for full capability and large-scale use in real-time sargassum monitoring. Blooms of pelagic sargassum (seaweed) have drastically increased in the tropical Atlantic since 2011, in large part caused by human factors. Upon reaching the shore they engulf beaches, leading to decomposition that devastates ecosystems. Communities and the fishing and tourist economies that depend on a healthy ecosystem have suffered as a result. And by July, 2025 has already become a record-breaking year for sargassum blooms.
