Mining Flickr: a method for expanding the known distribution of invasive species

Abstract

It is important to map invasive species in order to demonstrate their rate of spread and current distribution. Most recording schemes rely on opportunistic sightings and awareness to collect and gather data. Mining data from online social media and other data sharing platforms has become more prevalent in recent years as increasing numbers of users share more information. In this study, sightings from the image sharing platform Flickr were compared with the records submitted to the national recording scheme Record Pool. This study was completed to determine whether or not there was a significant difference between these two as sources for sightings of fresh water turtles across the UK.