The Dunedin City Council and the University of Otago School of Geography have installed phone cradles at Lawyers Head and St Clair, where people can place their phones and take a photo using the CoastSnap app.
The photos would be automatically uploaded, which would allow the council and scientists to monitor changes at the coast over time.
School of Geography Associate Prof Wayne Stephenson said it was a great opportunity for the community to connect with the science and contribute to it themselves.
"CoastSnap sites are now found in over 30 countries and have become very popular for communities to engage in citizen science and monitor how beaches change in response to storms and sea-level rise," Prof Stephenson said.
Dunedin City Council infrastructure services and development general manager Simon Drew said the data collected would inform the council what options could be taken to manage costal challenges.
Mr Drew said further monitoring work was under way as part of the council’s coastal plan adopted earlier this year.
"These models will help inform our approach to erosion risk management in the shorter-term, as well as our understanding of longer-term coastal processes," he said.
The council expected to complete a further survey in six months which would provide it with a better idea of how the coast was changing, he said.
Staff Reporter
