Have you ever wanted to be a scientist? You still can — and you can do it today with just your phone or a notepad.

Citizen science is a method of scientific data collection where community volunteers gather observations, photos and other metrics about the world around them.

This crowdsourced data is then used in peer-reviewed studies, expanding data scientists would otherwise have available for their research.

Ultimately, citizen science not only increases the amount of available data, but it also helps demystify the scientific method for the public who are then offered a way to participate in the process, said Corey Callahan, UF/IFAS assistant professor at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC).

“No matter the science background, there is scope for someone to get involved,” he said. “You can be a college student in a humanities field, an adult who’s never set foot in a lab, or even a young kid, but you can still participate as a scientist through citizen science.”

Citizen science works like this: Volunteers attend an event or do observations through a specific research initiative on their own, and then collect observations based on the research goal.

For example, to participate in the Florida Springs Heartland Manatee Sighting Network, individuals collect data on manatee sightings in the Suwannee, Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers and their connected springs, recording time, date and locations on a map where manatees were spotted.

In South Florida, some opportunities include the Florida Microplastic Awareness Project, which involves collecting water samples, and the Great Goliath Grouper Count when during the first two weeks of June, volunteer divers observe the species from artificial reefs. For more information visit www.flseagrant.org/citizenscience/#search.

The website and app IveGot1 allows anyone to log when and where an invasive or non-native species was seen, such as a Burmese python or Peters rock agama, and how many.

Such real-time data helps scientists and public land managers understand the spread of invasive species so they can make more informed decisions.

Another frequently used citizen science app is iNaturalist, where anyone can log photos of plants, animals, fungi and other species. The app suggests what the observation might be of, including which type of animal or plant, and logs the location on a map.

Callahan’s research group often uses apps like iNaturalist, including for UF/IFAS citizen science events like the DeLuca Preserve BioBlitz, a 24-hour annual event where volunteers photograph as many species as possible in the Okeechobee preserve.

At this year’s event in March, 140 participants recorded 12,485 observations and documented 1,529 species.

“Research really works through ‘people power ’” Callahan said. “We couldn’t do all the studies we want to do, and thus make all the discoveries we’ve made, if it weren’t for the hours and hours of work put in through citizen science.”