Shell-E

Shell-E is a field companion for ecology students and teaching staff carrying out Capture-Mark-Recapture practicals with the Common Garden Snail, Cornu aspersum.

Designed for use outdoors, Shell-E replaces paper recording sheets with a simple mobile workflow for collecting, checking and mapping field observations. Students can record captures, measurements, locations and recaptures, while teaching staff can organise teams, allocate survey areas and manage practical activities.

Shell-E is designed to keep working when field conditions are less than ideal. Observations can be recorded offline and synchronised when a connection becomes available again.

Key features include:

• Offline field data collection for snail captures and measurements
• GPS recording and manual map-based location selection
• Capture-mark-recapture code generation and checking
• Offline checking of previously recorded snail codes
• Photo capture for specimens and habitat
• Interactive maps showing recorded observations
• Team-based practicals and leaderboards
• Assigned teams and survey areas for students
• Teacher tools for class organisation and practical management
• Secure demonstrator access for field marking and assessment

Shell-E helps students learn ecological field techniques using real data. Capture-Mark-Recapture provides a practical introduction to population estimation, individual identification, sampling design and the challenges of collecting biological data in the field.

The Common Garden Snail is an ideal study species for teaching because individuals can be safely handled, marked and recaptured within a relatively small survey area.

Shell-E was developed for undergraduate ecology practicals at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus, but the app can also support similar teaching exercises and local snail population studies elsewhere.