ICM-CSIC: MINKA Citizen Observatory

Overall information

Goals

MINKA's database aims to make environmental data open and reusable, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals -SDGs- monitoring through locally-grounded observations. The volume and frequency of data collection achieved here is only possible through public participation, making citizen-generated data a powerful tool for understanding environmental changes.

Strengths

MINKA's primary strength lies in its distributed citizen science data acquisition system, where hundreds of contributors generate real-time biodiversity and environmental monitoring data. This continuous data stream creates a dynamic repository of biodiversity observations. MINKA implements a collaborative validation protocol that integrates empirical knowledge from field observers with taxonomic expertise from trained scientists. This synthesis of experiential and academic expertise enhances taxonomic resolution and data reliability. Through this collective intelligence framework, MINKA ensures standardized, quality-controlled data outputs. While MINKA operates as a distributed observation network across Europe and beyond, its most significant data aggregation occurs in Catalonia. The regional community has established MINKA as the principal database of Mediterranean marine species occurrences, demonstrating how localized citizen science efforts can generate significant scientific datasets.