the sisid project-online divesite information system using gis and crowdsourcing

7/29/2019 The Sisid Project-Online Divesite Information System Using GIS and Crowdsourcing

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GmE 203 Principles of GIS 2nd Semester AY 2011-2012 Page 1 of 19

THE SISID PROJECT: AN ONLINE DIVESITE INFORMATION SYSTEM

USING GIS AND CROWDSOURCING

Apura R.1 2

, Galang G.1 3

, Lorca R.1 2

, Macatulad E.1 2

, Ortega L.1 4

1MS Geomatics Engg., University of the Philippines Diliman2BS Geodetic Engg., University of the Philippines Diliman

3BS Geology, University of the Philippines Diliman4BS Forestry University of the Philippines Los Baos

ABSTRACT

Monitoring the state of the underwater environment is particularly difficult as these areas are

generally inaccessible to man. With the advent of the revolutionary technology of SCUBA, man

has been able to gain access to this underwater realm, which consequently has given rise to a

lucrative tourism industry. It however raises concerns for environmental protection and a

balance between economic benefits and the impact made on the underwater environment. To

aid in addressing this concern, The SISID Project was devised. Crowdsourcing was to be utilised

to gather information from the diving community which would be integrated into an online

divesite information system. Through GIS, spatial analysis was performed to identify patterns

and relationships within the dive data that can be used for monitoring, management, decision

making and identifying potential business opportunities. Technical and financial studies of theproject itself indicate strong potential for a socially relevant, and self-sustaining,

environmentally focused program.

KEY WORDS: GIS; SCUBA; Diving; Crowdsourcing; Spatial Analysis


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The SISID Project: An Online Dive Site Information System Using GIS and Crowdsourcing

Apura, Galang, Lorca, Macatulad, Ortega


Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION 4

1.1 Project Background 4

1.2 Project Objectives 51.3 Project Conceptual Framework 6

2. THE STUDY AREA 7

3. PREVIOUS WORKS UTILIZING CROWDSOURCING 8

4. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 8

5. METHODOLOGY 9

5.1 Website Development 9

5.1.1 Selection of Website-Hosting Site 9

5.1.2 Design of the Website 10

5.1.3 Database Creation 10

5.1.4 Selection of Map-Hosting Website 10

5.1.5 Creation of the Divesite Map 11

5.2 Development of Divesite Evaluation Criteria 11

5.3 Going Live: The SISID Project Website 12

5.4 Dive Data Crowdsourcing and Data Analyses 12

5.4.1 Proximity Analysis 13

5.4.2 Density Analysis 13

5.4.3 Mapping Clusters 13

5.4.4 Measuring Geographic Distributions 14

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 15

7. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: PROPOSED BUSINESS MODEL 16

7.1 DivR 16

7.2 EC-GIS 17

7.3 Linkage with The SISID Project 17

8. THE RESEARCH GROUP 18

9. REFERENCES 1810. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 19


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List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1 Project Conceptual Framework

Figure 2 The Study Area

Figure 3 Homepage of The SISID Project website

Figure 4 Sample Density Analysis of the Dive Data

Figure 5 Sample Hotspot Analysis of the Dive Data

Figure 6 Sample Measures of Geographical Distribution

Figure 7 Sample Directional Trend of Dive Resorts

Figure 8 The SISID Project Business Model

Table 1 Comparison of Different Web-hosting Sites

Table 2 Comparison of Google Maps and Mapchannels as Map-hosting SitesTable 3 DivR Free nd Fee-based subscription features

Annexes

A WEBPAGE SCREENSHOTS OF THE SISID PROJECT WEBSITE

B THE SISID PROJECT ERDT BUSINESS MODEL


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1. INTRODUCTIONThe marine environment is constantly under the pressure of destruction and degradation by

anthropogenic factors such as overfishing, destructive practices and dumping of waste (FAO, 1994).

Monitoring of the state of the underwater environment is particularly difficult as these areas are out of

plain sight and are generally inaccessible. Launching a full scale underwater survey of even a small area

requires a massive operation and the necessary logistics alone to equip divers to do such a survey is

enormous.

With the development of SCUBA, regular folk have been able to enter the underwater realm, wherein

divers, trained and certified to use the equipment as well as perform various underwater skills and

procedures, can go underwater to view and admire up-close the marine environment.

SCUBA, or Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, refers to a set of equipment that allows

humans to stay for prolonged periods under water by having a regulated supply of compressed

breathing gas (i.e. Air) contained in metal cylinders.

In the Philippines, divesites with coral reefs are most popular. Coral reefs are home to many species offish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, and clams among others. They also provide extensive recreation and

tourism opportunities (EPA coral fact sheet, 2005).

This personal interaction between man and the underwater world has created a deep appreciation, not

only for exploration of the unknown, but also for the preservation and conservation of our marine

resources. However, with more and more divers visiting these diving sites, it raises concerns for

environmental protection and a balance between a flourishing tourism industry that brings in large

revenue as well as employment opportunities, and the impact made on the underwater environment,

notwithstanding the effects of destructive practices such as anchoring, overfishing, blast fishing and use

of chemicals on the environment.

Management of the impacts on the marine environment while keeping the balance between economic

benefit and environmental protection, boils down to efficient and accurate monitoring. This is the thrust

ofThe SISID Project.

1.1 Project BackgroundThe SISID Project was conceptualized to address one of the essential components of a Geographic

Information System (GIS) ----- DATA. In order to create the online divesite information system, divesite

data will be sourced from shared dive logs from divers through crowdsourcing.

First coined by Jeff Howe in June 2006 issue of Wired Magazine, crowdsourcing is typically enabledthrough online communities consisting of members with common skills or interests and is applied as a

model that enables individuals and groups to innovate, create, produce, report, predict, collaborate,

fund and to engage customers (Crowwdsourcing.org, 2011). This is the developing trend of participative

data exchange, which according to Brabahm (2010, 1122), is an online, problem-solving and production

model already in use by businesses which harness the collective intelligence of a crowd of web users

through an open-call format.


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In the case of the diving community, divers are trained to prepare and are encouraged to keep dive

logbooks or logs which include records of the divesite name, time and date of the dive, and

underwater parameters such as temperature, depth, and visibility. Some divers also take note of the

underwater conditions of the corals and the general environment. To many divers, the record of dive

logs merely reflects the total number of dives a diver has made. The SISID Project would extend the use,

purpose and value of this data which would otherwise be lost or forgotten.

The SISID Project will host an interactive website that serves as a platform to gather and utilize

information within dive logs. The shared dive data will be used to generate a geodatabase which

includes the following parameters:

a. Dive Locationb. Dive Time and Datec. General Dive Conditions

Through The SISID Project, a Geographic Information System/Service (GIS) will be available wherein

spatial analysis can be performed to generate patterns and trends from the dive data, which may be

used for environmental monitoring and impact assessment. Some of the patterns and researchproblems hypothesized to be formed and addressed include the following:

a. Dives done per divesite per month, season, or year (Divesite Statistics);b. Divesites most frequented and possibly most impacted (Hotspots / Coldspots);c. Divesite coverage area (Divesite Delineation);d. Transport vectors from host resorts to the divesites; ande. Relative improvement or deterioration of divesite conditions through time.

1.2Project ObjectivesGenerally, the project targets the following objectives:

a. To aid in the protection and promotion of awareness of the marine environment;b. To promote sustainable economic development through efficient management of marine

resources and environmental impact;

c. To identify potential investment opportunities in the area;d. To promote marine environmental awareness and responsibility; ande. To promote a better dive experience.

From the aforementioned general objectives, specific objectives of the project are derived including the

following:

a. To gather dive logs from the dive community to be generated into a divesite database;b. To create an online divesite information system that will be accessible to the concerned public;c. To recommend to dive masters and dive instructors where to bring large dive groups;d. To provide information to the local government unit (LGU) for regulatory and management

purposes such as local ordinances;


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e. To identify heavily impacted sites and advise divers where not to dive, to give the area a chanceto recover, through the development of divesite evaluation criteria; and

f. To encourage divers and dive enthusiasts to take part in this noble cause through informationsharing.

1.3Project Conceptual FrameworkStakeholder participation shall be the driving force of the project and shall be incorporated into all

aspects of the project from conceptualization, website design, crowdsourcing, to data analysis. Figure 1

shows the project conceptual framework implemented for stakeholder participation

Figure 1. Project Conceptual Framework.

Stakeholders can be classified into three categories namely:

1.3.1 The Data Providers. These are the divers and members of the diving community thatwill share their dive data with the project.

1.3.2 The Service Provider. This is the project research group composed of the GmE 203Class Group, as well as professors, instructors and other resource persons needed for

the project. The service provider will render the necessary technical expertise for the

project including set-up and maintenance of the project website; collection, storage,

and processing of data collected; presentation of data; analyses; results; and

coordination with other stakeholders.


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1.3.3 The End-Users. This group shall be the beneficiary of the project. Feedback from theend-users will also be solicited for the continued improvement of the project. Among

the identified end-users in this project are the Local Government of Batangas, Dive

Operators, Marine Conservation Organizations, Dive Groups and Clubs, and Individual

Divers.

2. THE STUDY AREAThe municipality of Mabini in the Province of Batangas is comprised of 34 barangays and home to more

than 40,000 residents with more than 15% of the population working overseas (see Figure 2). Mabini is

popularly known as the "Dive Resort Capital" of the Province of Batangas because of its vast and rich

diving sites (http://mabinibatangas.gov.ph/about-us.asp).

Barangay Anilao was selected as the ideal location for the study area considering that it is one of the

most popular dive destinations in the Philippines and is very accessible from Metro Manila, drawing in

many divers regularly. Due to its popularity, the influx of visitors puts pressure on the marine

environment especially on the divesites, of which some are already showing signs of deterioration.Therefore, it would be necessary for Anilao to setup a monitoring system for its divesites for their

protection, preservation, and sustainability. The SISID Project is designed to address this particular

need.

Figure 2. The Study Area.


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3. PREVIOUS WORKS UTILIZING CROWDSOURCINGTraditionally, people frequently affected by natural calamities and other destructive forces of nature are

not able to prepare enough for these onslaughts. Information dissemination follows a top-down

approach wherein experts and professionals do the bulk of analysis, advise the government and civil

authorities, who then finally disseminate this information to the masses. Most often, the people are

already affected before information on what to expect and how to properly manage the situation

arrives.

With the advent of widespread availability of internet connectivity and location systems such as

GPS-equipped mobile smartphones, people are now able to share and consume geotaggedinformation

easily and rapidly. Today, the trend bends toward data pooling which encourages maximum

participation from the community especially in times of natural disasters and other calamities. In this

case, people are not only receivers but also information suppliers.

One prime example is the OpenStreetMap (OSM) Project, which leverages Global Positioning System

(GPS) trails and digitized street patterns from aerial imagery to create a free street map for the entire

world (Zook, et. al., 2010, 11).

Another popular example is the Haiti Earthquake Relief effort which the director of crisis mapping at

Ushahidi, Patrick Meier declared, The Haiti Quake is the first disaster in which open-source online

platforms are being heavily utilized. (Forrest 2010 as cited in Zook et. al., 2010, 14). The study

conducted by Zook, et. al., (2010, 9) acknowledges this as a remarkable example of the power of

crowdsourced online mapping and the potential for new avenues of interaction between physically

distant places. Zook, et. al. further states, You dont have to be in Haiti to help.

In the Philippines, one of the most successful projects which employed crowdsourcing as a means to

acquire information is Nababaha.com which served as a data collection and presentation platform for

flood data. The website served as a guide for authorities in facilitating rescue and relief efforts during

typhoons.

Another project similar to this was the Ondoy Maximum Flood Height Map, which Lagmay (2009)

describes as a web-based interactive map showing flood levels in Metro Manila created to serve as a

permanent record to help keep residents of today and the future reminded of the catastrophe. It was

created by a team of experts from the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS).

4. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYAs stated by Doan et. al.. (2011, 86), crowdsourcing systems face four key challenges: how to recruit

contributors, what they can do, how to combine their contributions, and how to manage abuse. Manysystems in the wild must also carefully balance openness with quality. There are also issues on data

quality since there is no single standard method in the data acquisition. It all depends on the level of

sophistication of the people providing the information (Goodchild and Glennon, 2010, 235).

In the case ofThe SISID Project, due to the limited time frame for the development of the project, the

actual crowdsourcing process was not performed in the course of the study. In absence of actual

crowdsourced information, dive data used for the project in system testing and spatial analysis were


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generated via random push pin method via Google Earth. Also, fieldwork was not conducted to verify

the locations of dive resorts and divesites which were derived from online sources such as

googlemaps.com and waypoints.ph.

5. METHODOLOGYThe succeeding procedures were undertaken to developThe SISID Project.

5.1Website DevelopmentThe interactive website is the main platform for The SISID Project and provides the Graphical User

interface (GUI) wherein the diving community may share their dive data, view all shared information

and access the GIS features of the project.

5.1.1 Selection of Website-Hosting SiteFor website set up, several free website hosting services were evaluated. The comparison of potential

hosting sites is summarized in Table 1.

Divers can share their dive data by pinpointing divesite locations as place marks on a map. This

requirement is an available function of the site crowdmap.com which makes it an appropriate platform

for this purpose. However, slow loading of the crowdmap.com website made it an option not to be

considered. Other web-hosting sites tested did not allow pinpointing of locations or place marks which

created the need to use map hosting sites and design an online form to be embedded in the website for

the input of dive data.

Considering the factors shown in Table 1, the best choice for web-hosting site for the project was

yola.com, brought about by following reasons:

a. Drag and Drop capability for adding site features made website creation easy and moreconvenient for novice web developers;

b. Single account for website creation can be accessed by several users which enables faster andmore convenient editing of the website; and

c. Yola.com has a higher file storage limit (for a free account) and has unlimited bandwidth.


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Table 1. Comparison of Different Web-hosting Sites.

5.1.2 Design of the WebsiteThe website is envisioned to be a One-stop Shop for divers/dive enthusiasts to share dive experiences

and information. It is designed to display of dive information, locations of actual dives and photos,readily available to the viewing public.

5.1.3 Database CreationFor the creation of an online form for dive input and divesite evaluation, Google Docs

(https://docs.google.com/) was used to create the form which then was embedded in the yola.com

project website. Google Docs forms have the following advantages:

a. Any input in the form will be added to the corresponding Google Docs spreadsheet;b.

The Google Docs spreadsheet can be downloaded as a Microsoft Excel file (.xls); andc. Google Docs can automatically generate statistics from the Google Docs spreadsheet.

5.1.4 Selection of Map-Hosting WebsiteFor the creation of a Divesite Map to be embedded in the website, Google Maps (maps.google.com) and

mapchannels.com were considered. Based on the pros and cons as shown in Table 2, Mapchannels was

Web-hosting Site

File

Storage

Limit

Bandwidth

LimitOnline Form

Ease of website

creation

Page

loading*Other Remarks

crowdmap.com Unlimited Not

indicated

Not indicated For advanced

users

Slow Multipledeployments

drupalgardens.com 50 MB 5 GB Has integrated web

form

For users with

sufficient

background in

web

programming

Moderate Multipledeployments

webnode.com 100 MB 1 GB Form can be

embedded from

other sites

For novice users Moderate Multipledeployments.

Created site is Adfree

webs.com 40 MB 100-500 MB Form can be

embedded from

other sites

For novice users Slow Complicatedprocedures for

creating web

pages

weebly.com Unlimited Unlimited Form for contact

information only

For novice users Moderate Data upload limit 5MB

wix.com 500 MB 500 MB Form for contact

information only

For novice users Slow Layout is suitablefor portfolio

publishing

yola.com 1 GB Unlimited Form can be

embedded from

other sites

For novice users Fast Up to 2 publishedsites

5 MB max file sizeupload

Drag and dropfeature

Simple layout Single account can

be used by

multiple users for

editing

*Note: 61.87 Mbps Download / 34.6 Mbps Upload Speed


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deemed to be the better option. A map of the project site was generated and embedded in theyola.com

project website.

Table 2. Comparison of Google Maps and Mapchannels as Map-hosting Sites.

5.1.5 Creation of the Divesite MapAfter having selected the map hosting site, the dive data was then tabulated in an MS Excel worksheet,

plotted in ArcGIS 9.3 and converted to Keyhole Mark-up Language (KML) file. The KML was then fed into

the map created using mapchannels.com and embedded in the site with Google Maps as the map

background. This map hosting service will also be utilised in the display of the geotagged underwater

photos.

5.2Development of Divesite Evaluation CriteriaThe divesite evaluation criteria was developed to rate or visually describe the divesite area. Thedivers

evaluation will give an idea of the state of the divesite. The collective divesite information may also be

used to inform the local government and other organizations concerned in the management of the

divesite. The evaluation criteria was designed to be understood by a wide audience. The set of

evaluation criteria formulated include coral condition and diversity, marine life condition, visibility and

general conditions of the underwater environment.

Map Hosting Site Pros Cons

Google Maps Easy to use Available Add field for user input Free

Users can edit other users shared data Placemark input can only be done in

the Google Maps page

Mapchannels Easy to use Users cannot edit other users shared

data

Data can be downloaded as text file Data can be uploaded through Excel

File

The embeddable map has a sidebarthat lists the placemarks inputted on

the map

One map per account Ads on map Non editable map features (enter

location field, no drop down, etc)

Placemark input can only be done inthe Mapchannels page


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5.3Going Live: The SISID Project WebsiteThe domain name of the project website was finalized to be: thesisidproject.yolasite.com. The website

was initially deployed to test the loading time and the final interface of the site. Official deployment of

the site was on 19 March 2012. Figure 3 below shows the homepage ofThe SISID Project. Screenshots

of the entire project website is provided as Annex A.

Figure 3. Homepage of the The SISID Project website.

5.4Dive Data Crowdsourcing and Data AnalysesThe original target was to gather as much dive information for the one month project duration using

crowdsourcing through The SISID Project website. However, due to the time devoted for creating the

website as well as in finalizing the criteria for the divesite evaluation, there inadequate time to gather

considerable data for process testing. As stated in the limitations of the study, to be able to have data

for the analysis, mock dive data were populated randomly via push pin method in Google Earth. Thus,

the generated data used for the testing as well as processing results indicated in this paper are not

factual and merely serve to test the applicability of the processing done.

A total of 200 dive logs were generated for the analysis, scattered among the 21 divesites within and

near Mabini, Batangas. There are 15 recognized dive resorts within the area, most of which are

clustered near a few divesites while there exists a larger number of divesites with no dive resort within

their vicinity. The available spatial modelling and analysis tools ofArcGIS Spatial Analystwere used to


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visualize dive patterns and derive new information from the sample data generated. Below are some of

the sample analyses performed:

5.4.1 Proximity AnalysisIn order to hypothetically determine area coverage for each and every divesite, a 500 meter buffer area

was created. All of the dive logs within the 500 meter radius will be listed to have dived in that particular

divesite.

5.4.2 Density AnalysisSince one of objectives of the project is identifying heavily impacted divesites, clustering of dives in a

popular divesite was observed through density analysis. This GIS functionality calculates the magnitude

per unit area of each dive log that fall within a neighbourhood of a particular divesite. A sample

generated density analysis map is shown in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Sample Density Analysis of the Dive Data.

5.4.3

Mapping Clusters

Based on the number of dive logs within a 500 meter buffer for every divesite, hotspots or the areas

having the most numbers of dive logs generated were identified using the Hot Spot Analysis. This

analysis determines statistically significant hotspots and cold spots using the Getis-OrdGi Principle.

Additional concepts used in hotspot analysis are the Inverse Distance of Conceptualization of Spatial

Relationships and the Manhattan (city-block) Distance Method. Figure 5 below shows sample statistics

for the hotspot analysis.


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Figure 5. Sample Hotspot Analysis of the Dive Data.

5.4.4 Measuring Geographic DistributionsAssuming that the most frequented divesites have been identified, together with which dive resorts are

within their vicinity, the distribution throughout the study area can be measured. Geographic

distribution indicates how dispersed or compact the divesites and dive resorts are. The mean center,

central feature, standard distance analysis and directional distribution analysis were among the

geographic distributions tested. The generated maps from the sample analysis are shown in Figures 6and 7.

Figure 6. Sample Measures of Geographical Distribution.


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Figure 7. Sample Directional Trend of Dive Resorts.

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONSThe SISID Project is a good platform to implement crowdsourcing for divesite information. Not only will

this promote environmental awareness, but it also gives the diving community a sense of pride and

responsibility in the protection and conservation of the underwater environment. However, there is a

need to apply validation measures to ensure the quality and integrity of the shared dive data.

With the generated divesite information database, GIS may be utilised to perform analyses to visualize

patterns and trends, and derive new information out of the data available. It is an enabling technologywhich can aid authorities and stakeholders make informed decisions in managing the marine

environment. It is hoped that the interplay between the stakeholders will promote the sustainability and

balance between the tourism aspect and the marine environment preservation.

Continued research on the refinement of the evaluation criteria to better capture the state of the

underwater environment is advised. Information campaign and marketing efforts may be launched to

inform stakeholders of the existence of the project and to encourage support from the diving

community, especially in sharing their dive data.

The project website GUI for data crowdsourcing may be improved if full features of the website hosting

service is utilised, but this will require subscription; with a corresponding monthly fee. Looking forsponsors and other funding sources may address this requirement. Further improvements to the project

seen to be possible include enabling direct data download from GPS devices, deployment ofThe SISID

Project as a mobile application, and near real-time update on divesite conditions shared by divers.


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7. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: PROPOSED BUSINESS MODELA proposed business model for The SISID Project has been developed and presented at the ERDT

Technopreneurship Program (Summer AY 2011-2012) as a potential Start-Up Project that can be both

technically and financially viable. This would turn The SISID Project into a self-sustaining, and possibly

revenue generating venture for its sponsors.

A business model was conceptualized and presented to various local technology entrepreneurs,

including the technopreneurship class instructors Engr. Bernie Abis of Webcast Technologies and

Dr. Luis Sison of UPD Enterprise Program. The proposal received positive feedback with a suggestion of

venturing into partnership with Reef Check Philippines, a non-profit organization that strive for the

conservation of coral reefs. The report on the proposed Business Model is a provided as Annex B.

The Start-Up concept for The SISID Project is to develop an online Divesite Monitoring service that will

have the following value propositions:

a. An online storage platform for divers for their dive logs and dive pictures.b. An online information system for divers wherein they can see dive trends such as hotspots,

through shared dive data, and also current divesite conditions through reports and shared

pictures from the diving community.

c. An online diving community wherein dive resorts, dive shops and dive organizations may postadvertisements, promos and events.

d. An online gallery of divesite pictures that may help evaluate the current state of the marineenvironment.

e. An online service for GIS consultancy service, specifically for the marine environment relatedstudies.

The Business model for The SISID Project incorporates two (2) key components:

a. DivRb. EC-GIS

7.1DivRDivR is an online personal storage service for dive logs and divesite pictures, in which divers can view

the data in an embedded Google Map and can be shared to and viewed by the diving community. DivR

shall be a service offering both free and fee-based subscription. The difference between the free and

paid subscription is detailed in Table 3:

Proposed

Subscription Type Dive Log Storage Photo Gallery Storage

Free Limited to 200 DivesMaximum of 200,

Limited-Resolution photos

Paid Unlimited Unlimited, High Resolution photos

Table 3. DivR Free and Fee-based subscription features.


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DivR (temporary name) is a play on the popular photo sharing site FlickR (by Yahoo!). The divers may

opt, and will be encouraged to share their uploaded dive data for usage in the divesite monitoring

system. This service is envisioned to be further integrated into social networking sites such as Facebook

(facebook.com) and Twitter (twitter.com).

7.2EC-GISEC-GIS is a GIS consultancy service focused on marine environmental impact monitoring and

management. EC-GIS is especially valuable for the LGUs and agencies who require monitoring and

management of marine sanctuaries and dive areas.

EC-GIS is also an online service for investors seeking optimal locations for establishing businesses related

to the diving community such as resort and recreational facilities. This service includes data analyses and

map visualizations of highly impacted divesites and potential seeding locations (for site rehabilitation)

among others. This service may be requested, subject to corresponding fees, dependent on the scope of

the analysis.

7.3Linkage with The SISID ProjectThe SISID Project would primarily receive its revenue stream from advertisement subscriptions on the

project website. Dive resorts, dive gear shops and dive organizations may opt to subscribe monthly to

any of two types of advertisement: Logo and Link Ads or Banner Ads. Other agencies or diving groups

may also avail of this service. Secondary sources of revenue will come from paid subscription for the

DivR and EC-GIS services. The proposed business model to be implemented for The SISID Project is

shown in Figure 8 below.

Figure 8.The SISID Project Business Model


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8. THE RESEARCH GROUPApura, Ransie Joy A.

Ransie is a licensed geodetic engineer and a masters degree student taking

Geomatics Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, wherein she

is an ERDT Scholar. She was previously a resident geodetic engineer for the Land

Titling Computerization Project of the Land Registration Authority.

Galang Greg F.

Greg is a licensed geologist, licensed professional teacher and a Masters Degree

student taking Geomatics Engineering at the University of the Philippines-

Diliman. He is an avid diver, certified in Technical and Mixed-Gas Diving.

Lorca, Ray Neil M.

Ray is a licensed geodetic engineer and a Masters Degree student taking

Geomatics Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, wherein heis an ERDT Scholar. He was previously a Project Development Officer for the

Establishment of the Philippine Active Geodetic Network (PageNET) Project of

the NAMRIA.

Macatulad, Edgardo G.

Gary is a licensed geodetic engineer and a Masters Degree student taking

Geomatics Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, wherein he

is an ERDT Scholar. He is part of the UP-DGE Environmental Systems Application

of Geomatics Engineering (EnviSAGE) Research Laboratory.

Ortega, Leo D.

Leo is a BS Forestry graduate at the University of the Philippines-Los Baos and

a Masters Degree student taking Geomatics Engineering at the University of the

Philippines-Diliman. He is a GIS Technician of the Flood Hazard Mapping Team of

PAGASA for the READY for GMMA Project of the UNDP.

9. REFERENCESFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1994. Integrated Management of CoastalZones. http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/T0708E/T0708E04.htm (accessed 28 May 2012).

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2005. Coral Reefs.

http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/upload/2007_6_28_oceans_coral_documents_coralreeffactsh

eet.pdf(accessed 28 May 2012).
http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/upload/2007_6_28_oceans_coral_documents_coralreeffactsheet.pdfhttp://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/upload/2007_6_28_oceans_coral_documents_coralreeffactsheet.pdfhttp://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/upload/2007_6_28_oceans_coral_documents_coralreeffactsheet.pdfhttp://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/upload/2007_6_28_oceans_coral_documents_coralreeffactsheet.pdf


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Crowsourcing.org, 13 July 2011. Jeff Howe Welcomes the Crowd.

http://www.crowdsourcing.org/editorial/jeff-howe-welcomes-the-crowd/5310 (accessed 28 May 2012).

Brabham, Daren C. 2010. Moving The Crowd At Threadless, Information, Communication & Society, 13:8,

1122-1145, DOI: 10.1080/13691181003624090

Municipality of Mabini, Province of Batangas, n.d. "About Us: History of Mabini,

Batangas". http://mabinibatangas.gov.ph/about-us.asp (accessed 28 May 2012).

Zook, Matthew; Mark Graham; Taylor Shelton; and Sean Gorman. 2010. Volunteered Geographic

Information and Crowdsourcing Disaster Relief: A Case Study of the Haitian Earthquake, World Medical

& Health Policy Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 2. DOI: 10.2202/1948-4682.1069

Lagmay, Alfredo M. Ondoy aftermath, citizen-based interactive floodmap Inquirer.net, October 10,

2009, accessed February 29, 2012,

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091010-229407/Citizen-based-

interactive-flood-map

Doan, Anhal, Raghu Ramakrishnan and Alon Y. Halevy. 2011. Crowdsourcing Systems On The World-Wide

Web, Communications of the ACM, April 2011, Vol. 54 No. 4, pp 86-96.

Goodchild, Michael F. and J. Alan Glennon. 2010. Crowdsourcing geographic information for disaster

response: a research frontier, International Journal of Digital Earth, 3:3, 231-241 Accessed February 22,

2012 (03:57) DOI: 10.1080/17538941003759255

10.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe research group would like to give special thanks and appreciation to Engr. Julius Bagate of the

Department of Geodetic Engineering UP Diliman for extending his professional expertise in the field of

website building and programming.

The group also hereby recognizes Dr. Rhodora M. Gonzales, professor for GmE 203 (Principles of GIS) for

providing the group with the necessary guidance and tips in the conduct of the research project.

Special mention also goes to Engr. Kristina Di V. Ticman who is part of the technopreneurship team that

came up with the proposed business model for The SISID Project.
http://www.crowdsourcing.org/editorial/jeff-howe-welcomes-the-crowd/5310http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091010-229407/Citizen-based-interactive-flood-maphttp://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091010-229407/Citizen-based-interactive-flood-maphttp://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091010-229407/Citizen-based-interactive-flood-maphttp://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091010-229407/Citizen-based-interactive-flood-maphttp://www.crowdsourcing.org/editorial/jeff-howe-welcomes-the-crowd/5310


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ANNEX A

WEBPAGE SCREENSHOTS OF THE SISID PROJECT WEBSITE


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The SISID Project: Home Page


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The SISID Project: Input Dives Page


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The SISID Project: Dive Site Map Page


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The SISID Project: Gallery Page


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The SISID Project: About Us Page


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ANNEX B

THE SISID PROJECT ERDT BUSINESS MODEL


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Kristina Di V. Ticman

CEOMobile No: +63 923 343 4582Email: [email protected]: thesisidproject.yolasite.com

Investment Requirements:

Php 50,000.00

Use of Investment Proceeds:

Data Gathering Fieldwork including thefollowing:Transportation: Php 25,000.00Marketing and Promotion:Php 15,000.00Miscellaneous:Php 10,000.00

Measure of Profitability: DivR Subscription: Php 199.95/mo.

Web Advertisements:a. Logo and Link: Php 199.95/mo.b. Banner Ads: Php 499.95/mo.

EC-GIS Services: Php 15,000.00-Php 40,000.00 (1 project package)

Management Team:

Kristina Di V. Ticman

CEO, OIC-Finance MS Geomatics Engineering Student LRA-LTCP GIS data build up

Ransie Joy A. Apura

OIC-Systems Development MS Geomatics Engineering Student

LRA-LTCP GIS data build up Java Programmer

Edgardo G. Macatulad

OIC-Web GIS Development MS Geomatics Engineering Student Researcher at Environmental

Systems Applications of GeomaticsEngineering Research Lab

Greg F. Galang

OIC-Marketing and Research TDI Certified Diver

MS Geomatics Engineering Student

Problem:The increasing popularity of scuba diving, coupled with the current programsof the Department of Tourism to promote the countrys tourist attractionspose great impacts in the Marine underwater environment. How do we getdata to evaluate and monitor the condition of the dive sites? How do weanalyse trends in diving to improve its business and promote better dive

experience? How do we manage its impacts to the marine environment?

Technology development/status/plans: The SISID Project website is already set up and designed for gathering

inputs from divers with embedded map. The website is initially using free webhosting from yola.com. Paid domain

hosting will be availed for the website upon the official start of operation. Further system design will be done to incorporate capabilities to integrate

advertisements. Coordination with dive groups and other resource persons is on-going.

Addressable market:The Diving Community including:1. Divers2. Dive Organizations3. Dive Resorts4. Dive Gear Shops5. Investors interested in setting up dive resorts6. LGUs

Market Validation:

As per statistics from the 2010 Professional Association of Diving Instructors(PADI), there are a total of 135,038 diver members and 16.3% of are diversin the Asia pacific region. There are available online dive logs catering to theinternational market, but none yet that focuses on the Philippine setting. Thedivers interviewed gave positive feedback regarding the project and is willingto support its development.

Competitive advantage:The SISID Project offers an online portal for the diving community, with thefollowing features:

1. DivR, an online storage for their dive logs and geo-tagged dive site

pictures, that they can access, view in map, and share with others,FREE for a limited storage size, but upgradable through an additionalfee.

2. Dive resorts and dive shops may advertise their services and promos onthe website for a corresponding fee.

3. A Dive site monitoring system using embedded maps and the shareddive data as inputs.

4. EC-GIS, Local Government Units and agencies concerned with theMarine Environment Agencies may request for Consultation Servicesregarding Environmental Impact Assessment on the dive sites.

Solution:The SISID Project An online platform (Shared and Integrated SiteInformation for Divers) that provides a system of monitoring dives and divesite conditions in the Philippines.

Business/revenue model:Year 1 CAPEX + OPEX = Php 134,400.00

REVENUE (Assuming an average 50 monthly subscribers forLogo&Link, 20 monthly subscribers for Banner ads starting on the3rd month of the business operation, 1 consultancy project @20,000and 200 user subscriptions a year) = Php 260,000.00PROFIT = Php 98,000.00

Year 2 onwards (OPEX = Php 11,200/mo. and REVENUE = Php 260,000.00)PROFIT = Php 125,600.00

ROI of 1 Year with 10% interest


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Kristina Di V. Ticman, CEO Email: [email protected]

Mobile No: +63 9233434582 URL: thesisidproject.yolasite.com

1. Key Concept and Business ImpactThe Start-up Business Idea of the SISID Project is to develop an online Dive Site Monitoring service that will

have the following value propositions:

a. An online information system for divers wherein they can see dive trends such as hotspots, through

shared dive data, and also current dive site conditions through shared pictures from the diving

community.

b. An online diving community wherein dive resorts, dive shops and dive organizations may post

advertisements, promos and events.

c. An online gallery of dive site pictures that may help evaluate the current state of the marine

environment.

In order to establish this Dive Site Monitoring service, the SISID project is composed by two (2) components:

the DivR and the Environmental Consultation/Geographic Information System (EC-GIS) Service.

DivR An online personal storage of dive log and dive site pictures for divers, in which they can view the data

in an embedded Google Map and can be shared and viewed by the diving community. Free and

premium subscriptions are available with the former offering a limit of 50 photos for storing and limited

photo resolution, and the latter offering unlimited photo storing and no limit on photo resolution.

EC-GIS

An online site for GIS consultation services focused on Environmental Impact Assessment, specifically

catering to the diving community and other concerned groups. The GIS services will especially bevaluable for the Local Government and agencies who want to monitor and manage respective dive areas

An online tool for people looking for optimal locations for establishing businesses related to the diving

community.

With the above features, the SISID Project may also indirectly contribute to the following aspects:

a. Promotes sharing in the diving community.

b. Promotes a better diving experience for divers.

c. Promotes environmental awareness and responsibility.

2. Business Model StructureThe SISID Project would primarily get its revenue stream from Advertisement subscriptions from the diving

community. Dive resorts, dive gear shops and dive organizations may opt to subscribe monthly for any of

two types of advertisement: Logo and Link Ads or Banner Ads. Other agencies or diving groups may also

avail of this service. The initial price offering for the available services are summarized in Table 1 below.

To gather support from the divers, the DivR service is offered which can be availed through a FREEsubscription that can be upgraded to the premium subscription priced as also shown in Table 1. The

Business model that is implemented is shown in Figure 1 below.


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Table 1. Initial Price Offering for the Services

SERVICE PROVIDED UNIT PRICE

Logo & Link Ads (Monthly) Php199.95

Banner Ads (Monthly) Php499.95

DivR Premium Subscription (Yearly) Php199.95

EC-GIS Consultancy Services (per project):

- Locating potential seeding sites Php15,000.00

- Dive Resort Location Php20,000.00

- Dive Site Monitoring Php35,000.00

- Others Varies

Figure 1. The SISID Project Business Model

The uploaded dive data can be shared for usage in the dive site monitoring system. Local government units

and other agencies concerned with the Marine environment may request for EC-GIS consultation services


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for the corresponding fees shown in Table 1 above. This includes data analyses and map visualizations of

highly impacted dive sites and potential seeding location (site rehabilitation) among others.

3. System ArchitectureThe System Architecture involved in the SISID Project comprises of the following components:

A. Website design

The online platform will have the following components:

1. Home Page contains information about the company, on how to use the website as well as

information about the products and services being offered by the company

2. Login Page contains registration details for free and premium subscriptions. Upon successful log in,

other features are activated (photo gallery, personal dive site map, dive site trends and pattern

analysis, dive records public or private, etc). Subscriber has the option to share his/her dive data.

3. Dive Site Map exhibits dive site and dive resort locations all over the Philippines. May contain dive

data freely shared by subscribers.B. Website hosting

The Sisid Project will be built on a reliable and secure web hosting platform with custom domain name

of http://www.thesisidproject.com.

C. Server

The project will use virtual servers available on the Internet (Cloud Server Hosting). A paid subscription

for cloud server hosting will be availed to secure storage access and reduce risk of down-time.

4. Business FeasibilityA. Market Analysis

According to the 2010 member statistics of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI),diver members reached to 135,038, 16.3% of which (22,011 diver members) are divers in the Asia Pacific

region. Interviews conducted with several divers yield positive results for the project. They have

expressed interest in the project as well as willingness to purchase an online dive log storage service.

B. Financing Plan

It is assumed that the first two months of the business operation would be spent for preliminary

fieldwork on marketing and promotion activities and data gathering. This constitutes the capital expense

for the project. For the operation expenses, only the minimal costs required for the start-up are

considered. Table 2 below shows the estimates project start-up costs.

Table 2. Estimated Project Start-up Costs

UNIT COST

Capital Expenses (CAPEX) Php 50,000.00

Field work (Marketing, Promotion and Data

Gathering)

Monthly Operation Expenses (OPEX) Php 11,190.00

1. Subscription for Photo Storage Php 90.002. Subscription for Cloud Server Php 600.00


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3. Webhosting and Domain Subscription Php 500.004. Marketing Php 10,000.00The OPEX as well as the Revenue Stream for the first year of operation are projected to begin upon the

official start of the online service expected to be on the third month. To estimate the Revenue stream

for the first year, average monthly advertisement subscriptions of 50 for Logo and Link Ads and 20 for

Banner Ads are assumed, with 200 Premium DivR subscription and 1 EC-GIS service project atPhp20,000 yearly. Considering the prices listed in Table 1 above, the first year financial projection is

computed as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. First Year Financial Projection

MONTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

COSTCAPEX (Php '000) 30 20

OPEX (Php '000) 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2

Total Cost (Php '000) 30 20 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2

REVENUE

Logo and Link Ads

@199.95/mo. 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Banner Ads @499.95/mo. 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

DivR Premium Subscription

(@199.95 yearly) 200

subscribers 40

EC-GIS ConsultancyService

(@20,000) 20

Total Revenue (Php '000) 60 20 20 40 20 20 20 20 20 20

Total Profit (Php '000) -30 -50 -1.2 7.6 16.4 45.2 54 62.8 71.6 80.4 89.2 98

Considering the computed profit, it can be seen in Table 3 that positive profit starts from the 4th month

of operation. Projecting an average yearly revenue stream same as estimated in Year 1 which is

Php260,000.00 versus an annual OPEX of Php134,400.00 and assuming zero depreciation and inflation

rates, from Year 2 and onwards the Profit will be Php125,600.00.

5. Risk AnalysisThe following are the identified risks that may be encountered in the implementation of the Business Model:

A. Market Acceptance

Appropriate marketing and promotion is needed to encourage divers to use the service and share their

dive data to the dive site monitoring system. There is a need to emphasize that they will be contributing

to the benefit of the marine environment. Marketing strategies would be necessary to encourage divers

to subscribe to the DivR service which would influence the number of subscriptions foradvertisements. And with increased number of shared dive data, betterEC-GIS service is provided.

B. Competition


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Although there are websites with similar concepts as the SISID project, none yet focuses on the

Philippine diving community. The SISID project will also use embedded maps to visualize the distribution

of the divers dive data to serve as dive site monitoring. However, since the data are shared and free,

there is no guarantee when the data is already available that competitor service providers will not start

to offer similar service for equal or lower costs.

C. Technical Capacity and Capability

There is a need to display competency and credibility, especially for offering the GIS consultation service

and Environmental Impact Assessment. The team is confident on providing GIS services. However, for

concerns on the dive site and marine environment evaluation, the current team needs to acquire know-

how or to get support from marine scientists in order to provide credible marine environment

assessment.

D. Financial Stability

Although the operation expense is only Php11,200.00 per month, the revenue stream would dependgreatly on the market acceptance of the project. The number of divers that would subscribe in the DivR

service will affect the target number of clients to avail of the advertisement and may not be met

immediately as projected in the financial estimates.

E. Concerns on data access, sharing and security

Because the data for dive log and dive site conditions are obtained through crowdsourcing, there may

be certain issues concerning access and re-distribution of the data, as well as the usage of this data for

by-products.

the sisid project-online divesite information system using gis and crowdsourcing

Documents