LIMNORA FIELD GUIDE
Frequently asked questions
Clear expectations, before you submit.
What does Limnora do?
Limnora is a signup-free citizen-science tool for inland freshwater ponds, lakes and streams. It turns uncertain photographs into traceable evidence, human reviews and focused revisit questions—not water-health scores.
Does AI receive my chosen category?
No. Independent screening uses the image without your observer category or description. Your original label remains unchanged. Disagreement asks for human review and a targeted revisit rather than an automated conclusion.
Who can use the evidence?
Community observers can revisit safely. Researchers and environmental officers can inspect source reports, AI provenance and unresolved questions in a downloadable researcher brief. A brief is not professional validation or official OneAquaHealth integration.
Do I need an account or GPS?
No. Browse and submit without signup. Location is optional and only helps center the map or show nearby reports. Report points are manually selected and are not GPS-verified.
Can I confirm an observation?
Yes, if you personally saw the same condition. One confirmation per report is allowed for each browser identity. Clearing cookies or using another browser can bypass this limit; it is not unique-person verification.
Can AI tell whether water is safe?
No. A photo cannot establish toxicity, pathogens, dissolved oxygen or potability. Never drink, touch or enter suspicious water based on a report or AI output.
What if AI is unavailable?
The observation stays saved. Open its detail view to retry screening. No result is fabricated when the provider fails.
Why is a pond missing or unnamed?
Map coverage and water-body names depend on OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap data. Small or unmapped water bodies may be absent. A selected unnamed water body can be given a local name, which is user-provided.