A new mobile app from the Alabama Water Institute and the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium provides a fast, interactive way to find important weather, boating, safety and fishing information for the Gulf of Mexico.

A student-led project from the University of Alabama’s Management Information Systems program, the app allows users to instantly access information about weather, tides, buoy stations, water safety and fishing regulations based on the user’s location. The app is available by searching “MAPP-AWI” on iOS and Android.

“You’d normally have to search for all this information separately, so it’s really a one-stop shop,” said Presley Gobbell, marketing lead for the MIS team from Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, who graduated in December 2021.

The home page of the app offers a quick look at the user’s location and features easy-to-read navigation buttons.

The app created by students provides information needed for fishing. (contributed)

The weather area provides current temperature, precipitation, humidity and wind speed, as well as hourly and seven-day forecasts. The regulations section has information provided by Fish Rules LLC, a third party that offers quick access to location-specific, up-to-date fishing regulations, such as season openings and catch limits on a variety of species. It also has information on obtaining saltwater and freshwater fishing licenses.

The safety section covers several topics crucial to boaters out on the water.

“Users can see important safety features about their boat, as well as access emergency procedures, such as how to contact the U.S. Coast Guard if they run into trouble,” said Abbie Merker, a senior from Marietta, Georgia, and one of the project’s student developers.

The map allows the user to select from several tide and buoy stations that provide current information about high and low tide times, tide height, wave height and more. Coast Guard stations are listed on the map with radio frequencies for maritime safety information broadcasts and distress calls. This information will be available even with no cellular service.

“It stores your last-accessed location locally on your device, so anything like diving flags, equipment or what to do in case of emergency is saved in the app,” said Sam Barnes, the project’s team leader and an MIS graduate student from Owens Cross Roads, who earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from UA.

Under the regulations section, users can scout specific locations on the map to help plan a fishing getaway.

“If you’re planning to go to Tampa or Gulf Shores, for example, you can drop a pin on those locations and all the fish relevant to that area will show up,” said Griffin Turner, tech lead for the project from Delta, who graduated last month. “You’ll be shown a screen that’s populated with information ranging from the size of the fish, how many you can catch and even gear that you can use.”

While the app is available only for the Gulf of Mexico, there is the possibility for growth into other areas of the country.

“If Fish Rules decides to expand to the east and west coasts, as long as the way they provide information doesn’t change too much, the app could potentially grow to cover those areas,” said Garrett McGiffert, a student developer from Tuscaloosa who graduated in 2021.

The app started as a partnership project between AWI and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant in 2019.

“I have become a big fan of undergraduate capstone projects,” said LaDon Swann, the director of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. “I am amazed at what a group of dedicated students can do during a semester. As a fisherman, I have always looked for ways to reduce the number of phone apps I have to check when planning a fishing trip. This app has the potential to be the go-to app for me.”

The first team of UA MIS students developed the framework before handing it off after graduation.

“The team prior to this was able to get an initial version deployed to Android, and this team was able to build it up and get it onto Apple as well,” said Gary Spurrier, faculty sponsor and assistant professor of information systems, statistics and management science.

Developers hope their new app will become a one-stop shop for fishermen and boaters in the Gulf. (Robert DeWitt / Alabama NewsCenter)

Students finished the first version of the app prior to the end of fall semester 2021. Most have graduated, but have left behind a wish list as updates and developments continue.

“We would like to see a citizen science function where you could upload information and photos about fish you’ve caught in a certain area to help with data collection for fisheries around the Gulf,” said Turner.

Turner said working with AWI and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant has been a rewarding experience, and UA has prepared him for the next steps in his career.

“One of the companies I was interviewing with was greatly impressed with how UA’s MIS program specifically implements a curriculum that sets us up for success in life after collegiate environment,” he said.

By bringing this project to the public and partnering with the MIS program and its students, AWI is helping to strengthen one of UA’s strategic goals to increase innovation in research, scholarship and creative activities that affect economic and societal development.

A version of this story was originally published by the Alabama Water Institute. This story subsequently appeared on the University of Alabama’s website.