ASA Citizen Scientists contribute to Malaria Research

October 25, 2023

Last year, our Grade 5 Citizen Scientists, in collaboration with secondary students, joined an international team led by the University of South Florida and the University of Antananarivo. This collaboration was an integral part of a citizen science campaign that involved partnering with two giants in the field, NASA and the CDC.

Their mission was to meticulously observe and catalog as many mosquitoes and mosquito larvae as possible within our local community. Yet, their work reached far beyond our school’s boundaries. Their primary focus was on the invasive urban malaria vector, Anopheles Stephensi, a species that had recently infiltrated Africa. If left unchecked, this invader posed a grave threat, putting an additional 126 million people at risk of contracting malaria.

The dedication of our students and their unwavering commitment to scientific exploration led to a significant achievement. Their contributions played a pivotal role in a publication featured in the renowned journal “Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.” Titled “Citizen Science as an Approach for Responding to the Threat of Anopheles stephensi in Africa”. Impressively, they also secured a place on the leaderboard in the Mosquitos in Africa campaign, as illustrated in Figure 3.

We extend our warmest congratulations to the remarkable team of ASA Citizen Scientists! Their dedication to this global endeavor is truly inspiring.