MedusApp jellyfish alert app tops 700,000 downloads, launches interactive map

The MedusApp platform, created by the Universitat Politècnica de València and the University of Alicante, has surpassed 700,000 downloads on Android and iOS. The summer update adds a new interactive web map that lets users see real‑time jellyfish sightings along any stretch of coast and track how species presence changes over time.

MedusApp relies on citizen contributions: beachgoers report a jellyfish presence or confirm a clean beach, and each report is checked by an AI algorithm trained on over 10,000 images and then reviewed by an expert committee. The validated data feed a publicly accessible map and a research database used to study jellyfish distribution. The app is available in six languages and is now used by swimmers and scientists worldwide. Recent data show a shift in the Mediterranean, with the species Cotylorhiza tuberculata becoming the most reported, overtaking Pelagia noctiluca.