We are excited to share that the MAPS Lab has been awarded funding from the Community Climate Adaptation Fund (CCAF), an Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI) program at Dalhousie University, to launch a new initiative: “Crowdsourced Intelligence: Gamified Citizen Science and AI Integration for Community Climate Adaptation on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore”.
This year-long project will combine citizen science, gamification, and AI tools to empower rural coastal communities facing the frontlines of climate change. Working closely with the Eastern Shore Citizen Science Coastal Monitoring Network (ESCOM), our team will co-develop a mobile and web platform that enables residents to document environmental changes, share traditional ecological knowledge, and receive insights on climate impacts.
The platform will integrate persuasive gamification techniques to encourage long-term participation and feature a custom chatbot that connects crowdsourced observations with historical climate data to provide actionable recommendations. Beyond supporting local decision-making and climate resilience strategies, this work aims to bridge generational and technological divides, foster inclusive participation, and contribute directly to municipal and provincial climate adaptation planning.
The project is led by Dr. Gabriel Spadon (Computer Science) in collaboration with Dr. Oladapo Oyebode (Computer Science), Dr. Tushar Sharma (Computer Science), Dr. Camilo M. Botero (Coastal Management), and Dr. Floris Goerlandt (Industrial Engineering), alongside community partners from ESCOM, the Diocesan Environment Network, and The Deanery Project.
The CCAF-OFI award will allow MAPS Lab to pilot this innovative framework on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, laying the foundation for scalable citizen science-driven climate adaptation initiatives across Canada’s coastal regions starting September 2025.
