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FAQ
Why do I have to guess? Why can’t I just say I don’t know?
We know that many of these organisms are unfamiliar, and they may be hard to see in the photos. However, we think that you probably know a lot more than you think you do! Your brain is really good at picking up patterns, so you likely know more and can make a better guess than you realize. We show all of the images to multiple people, so we aren’t making the identification based on just your guess. If lots of people look at the image and we don’t get a high level of agreement, the image will be tagged for review by our researchers.
When I zoom in, things get blurry. How am I supposed to identify things like that?
While zooming in can sometimes help, most of the organisms that you are looking at are bigger than the circles that mark the location for you to make an identification. If you zoom in too far, you are going to be seeing only part of the organism. You'll likely have better luck if you are zoomed out and you can see the whole organism.
Why are the circles so small? Can't they be bigger?
When our researchers look at the live tiles, they do a 50 point count, where they identify all of the organisms from 50 standardized locations. We’re trying to keep the data from the photos that you are identifying as close to the data that the scientists collect as we can. The circles are small because the tiles (which aren't that big to start with) have been divided into 50 smaller sections. This makes sure that we cover the whole tile and that we don't miss the smaller organisms.
What I'm seeing doesn't look like anything in the example pictures. What should I do?
We tried to make our example pictures cover as much of the variety of forms, shapes, and colors that a group of organisms can take as we could. However, some of these groups of organisms are incredibly diverse, and can even take on different forms under different environmental conditions. Please make your best guess based on the descriptions and images that are there. You can also check out the tagged images on the Talk page (search using the # symbol before the word or click on one of the tags on the right side of the page) to see some more variety or check out our collections for each group. If you are having trouble, please reach out to us on the Talk page. We'd be happy to help you!
If I identify things incorrectly, does it mess up the data?
Not at all! We don’t expect that every identification will be right. That is why we show the image to lots of people, and combine all of those answers. We think that overall, people will be pretty good at identifying things (even if they are guessing!). By getting a lot of people to make identifications, we can be pretty confident in the answer. For images that are really difficult and we don’t get a high level of agreement, we will make sure that those images are reviewed and identified by an expert.
Can I get more information about the organisms?
Check out the Field Guide (click on the white Field Guide tab on the right side of the screen) to learn more about specific groups of organisms (like what they eat and examples of invasive species). You can also reach out to us on the Talk page. We'd love to know what you find interesting and we're happy to try to answer your questions.
I see something that isn't in any of the listed categories. What do I do?
Tell us about it in the Talk page! After you make an identification, you’ll have the option to "Talk” or to go on to the next image. If you select “Talk”, that image, along with any comments that you have will go to the Notes page. The research team will see it and we’ll get back in touch with you. We know that occasionally, there are organisms (like brittle stars, crabs, or nudibranchs) on the tiles that aren’t in the selection list, and we’d love to know about them!
There are multiple organisms in one circle. What do I do?
You can select multiple animals from the selection panels. The panel will turn yellow after you have selected it. Please remember that we are most interested in the organisms in the center of the circles!
How do you decide where the circles go on the photos?
When our researchers look at the live tiles, they do a 50 point count, where they identify all of the organisms from 50 standardized locations. This is a way to ensure that they cover the whole tile, without it taking forever! We’re trying to keep the data from the photos that you are identifying as close to the data that the scientists collect as we can. So, we created 50 overlays for the tiles, with the circles in different locations in each overlay. This means that each tile is in the data set 50 times, but a different spot is circled each time. That way, we get identifications from 50 spots on each tile.
Where are the tiles from?
You can get additional information about the tile by clicking on the white, circled “i” that is at the lower right corner of the image. There you will find the location, the year the photo was taken, and who took the photo. If you have questions about a tile, you can ask us in the Talk page.
Can I use the images from the project?
Smithsonian Institution Terms of Use
I have a question about an image. How can I get more information?
Ask us about it in the Talk page! After you make an identification, you will have the option to "Talk" about the image. You can ask us questions (like what species you have and if it is invasive) or point out really cool things that you see. We’d love to know what your favorite images are! You can also use the Talk page to report issues or ask questions about the project.