Bioluminescent Plankton Watch — Wales, England & Scotland ("we", "us", "the app") is a community platform for sharing and exploring sightings of bioluminescent plankton around the UK coast. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have.
By creating an account and using the app, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.
1. Who we are
The app is operated by the volunteer admin team of the Bioluminescent Plankton Watch community. For any privacy questions, please contact us through our Community Forum.
2. What information we collect
Account information
- Your email address and password (passwords are stored securely and never shown to anyone).
- Your display name, and an optional link to your own website.
- Your user role (member or admin).
Sighting information
- The location, date and time of any sighting you log, plus any notes you add.
- Photos and videos you upload. If you log a sighting using your device's location, we use your browser's geolocation feature to capture your coordinates at that moment.
- Whether the report is a positive sighting or a "no show".
Community content
- Forum threads and replies, and comments you post on sightings.
Usage information
- Basic analytics about how the app is used (for example which features are popular), and standard technical logs needed to keep the service running securely.
Information you give us directly
- If you contact the admin team, any information you choose to share.
3. How we use your information
- To run the map, gallery, leaderboard, forum and profile features you signed up for.
- To show your sightings, media and forum contributions to other users (see "Public data" below).
- To send you occasional email updates, news and bloom alerts only if you have ticked the box agreeing to receive them. You can withdraw this consent at any time.
- To share anonymised, aggregated sighting data with academic researchers (such as the Cardiff University study described on our Info page) to improve understanding of bioluminescent plankton. We do not share your email address or password with researchers.
- To maintain the security of the app and to moderate content where necessary.
4. Legal basis for processing (UK GDPR)
We rely on:
- Performance of a contract — to provide the account and features you requested.
- Your consent — for receiving email updates and for any processing of your photos/media as a public contribution.
- Legitimate interests — to operate, secure and improve the community platform, and to support research that benefits public understanding of this phenomenon.
5. Public data — please read carefully
Much of what you contribute is public by design:
- Your sightings (including location, date, description and media) appear on the shared map and in the gallery for all users and visitors to see.
- Your forum threads, replies and comments are public.
- Your profile (if set to public) shows your sightings and activity.
Because sightings are tied to a map location, the approximate location you report is part of your public contribution. Please think about this before posting — for example, avoid including identifying details of private homes or sensitive access points.
6. Photos, video and other people
If your media shows other people, you are responsible for making sure you have their permission before sharing it publicly. Please avoid posting images of identifiable children. By uploading media you confirm you have the right to do so (see our Terms of Use).
7. Third parties we rely on
We do not sell your data. To run the app we use trusted services:
- Map tiles — OpenStreetMap contributors (see osm.org/copyright).
- Satellite data — EUMETSAT / Copernicus, NASA GIBS and NOAA CoastWatch, used to show chlorophyll, sea temperature and currents.
- Cloud hosting and email delivery — the platform providers that host this app and deliver messages to you.
- Reverse geocoding — OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service, used to turn your coordinates into a place name.
These providers process data only as needed to deliver those services.
8. Children
The app is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact the admin team so we can delete it.
9. How long we keep your data
- We keep your account and contributions for as long as your account is active.
- If you ask us to delete your account, we will remove your personal data (such as email and password). Please note that sightings and forum posts are part of the community's shared record — you can ask us to remove your name or media from specific contributions, but the community observations themselves may be retained in anonymised form.
10. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct data that is wrong, or update your name or website link.
- Delete your account and associated personal data (subject to the note above).
- Object to or restrict certain processing.
- Withdraw consent at any time for email updates and media processing — this won't affect anything we've already done with your consent.
- Portability — receive a copy of your data in a structured format.
To exercise any of these rights, contact the admin team through the Community Forum.
11. Cookies and local storage
We use minimal local storage to keep the app working smoothly (for example remembering your preferences between visits). We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.
12. Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your data (encrypted passwords, restricted admin access), but no online service can be guaranteed 100% secure. Please keep your password safe.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll show the "last updated" date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be flagged in the app or by email (if you've opted in).
14. Contact
For any privacy questions or requests, reach the admin team through our Community Forum. For urgent safety matters at the coast, always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.