The Visual Assessment Survey Tool (VAST) engages coastal citizens, youth and community groups in collecting data to fill knowledge gaps for the Lake Erie shoreline of the Niagara Peninsula.
The VAST project blends science, story-telling, and technology to create a near real-time coastal monitoring network. Using the data submitted by citizen scientists, changes to the Great Lakes shorelines can be actively tracked. This data is shared openly with the public through the Explore tab of the VAST webpage.
Get involved and contribute to an ever-expanding coastal monitoring network
Why does it matter?
There is insufficient ecological information to address key coastal issues along the Lake Erie shoreline in Niagara.
Each area of the Lake Erie Coast has unique issues that it faces, making a single management approach impractical. The near real-time coastal observations collected by VAST will address these knowledge gaps and aid coastal managers in making informed decisions about the coast.
