Phone app lets citizens report water pollution
A free smartphone app is letting people report oil spills, marine debris and even algae blooms and jellyfish swarms in waterways around the world.
The Marine Defenders app lets people instantly file reports that go to a central pollution database, and they can swiftly be routed to the Coast Guard or environmental prosecutors if warranted.
It was originally developed for the New Jersey-based American Littoral Society two years ago as a way for boaters to report oil spills.
But it was updated this week to allow anyone who sees water pollution, floating debris, endangered animals or other problems to report them.
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