Citizen scientists can play a role in eliminating Zika and other mosquito-transmitted diseases by downloading a free GLOBE Observer app from Google Play or the App Store.
Use the Mosquito Habitat Mapper module to report the location of mosquitoes that potentially transmit disease. The app will show you how to find mosquito larvae, photograph the breeding site and then eliminate sites near people.
Mosquitoes breed in still, stagnant water in puddles, plants, trash, water storage containers and any other place where water pools. Using the app, you will document where you find still water and mosquito larvae. Then, using a cup, syringe, or other container, you can sample the water and count the number of larvae.
In the optional second half of the app, you can photograph the larvae with a magnifying lens then answer a series of questions to find out if the mosquitoes breeding at the site are among the species that typically transmit disease.
In the final step, you will eliminate the breeding site by dumping out or treating the water. The information you provide will help scientists and public health officials map the range and population density of mosquitoes in your neighborhood.
To celebrate Earth Day 2018, NASA is highlighting a variety of innovative technologies and encouraging the public to use several online tools and the hashtag #NASA4Earth.
