Environmental Fieldwork, No Lab Cleanup
Environmental field surveys demand precision, endurance, and tools that do not rely on a cell tower. Mapalyze gives researchers and field scientists one platform for capturing observations, mapping habitat boundaries, and exporting publication-ready geospatial data — even after days without a signal.
23% of handwritten field notes contain transcription errors
Five Days in the Marsh, One Chance to Get It Right
A team of four ecologists heads out for a five-day biodiversity survey across a network of coastal wetlands. The study area spans 17 kilometers of marshland, tidal flats, and mangrove corridors — none of which have reliable cellular coverage. The survey protocol requires the team to record point observations for every species sighting, draw polygon boundaries around distinct habitat zones, trace line transects through sampling corridors, and photograph representative specimens and site conditions. It is muggy, the mosquitoes are relentless, and every minute spent fumbling with gear is a minute lost to real science.
On previous expeditions, the team relied on handheld GPS units, waterproof notebooks, and digital cameras. Back at the lab, reconciling timestamps, GPS waypoints, and handwritten field notes consumed nearly as much time as the fieldwork itself. Species codes were misread, polygon boundaries had to be re-digitized from pencil sketches, and photo metadata was incomplete. The resulting dataset required extensive manual cleanup before it could even be imported into QGIS.
Mapalyze closes that gap between the field and the lab.
How Mapalyze Solves It
Points, Lines, and Polygons on One Device
Record point observations for individual species sightings, draw polygons to delineate habitat zones, and trace lines for transect routes — all on-device with GPS precision. Each geometry is linked to its corresponding form record, so spatial data and attribute data never get separated. No more re-digitizing pencil sketches at the lab bench. Learn more about GIS geometry capture in Mapalyze.
Days of Data, Zero Signal Required
Collect data for the entire duration of a field expedition — one day or ten — without worrying about connectivity. All records, geometries, and photos are stored on-device and sync automatically when you are back in range. No emergency fallback mode, no half-working cache. Offline is how the app was designed to run. Read more about the offline sync architecture.
Photos That Travel with the Record
Photograph specimens, site conditions, and equipment setups directly within the data record. Every image is automatically tagged with GPS coordinates and a timestamp. Batch uploads handle large photo sets in the background, so researchers can keep recording observations without waiting for file transfers. When you are writing up results three months later, every photo is still linked to the exact record it belongs to.
Export to QGIS, ArcGIS, or R
Export your entire dataset — points, lines, polygons, and attribute tables — as GeoJSON, Shapefile, or CSV. Load exports directly into QGIS, ArcGIS, or R for spatial analysis. Open formats mean your data is never locked inside a proprietary system. Layer field observations over remote-sensing imagery, land-use maps, or historical survey data without conversion headaches.
Built for Environmental Teams
Full GIS Geometries
Capture all standard GIS geometry types on-device. Each geometry is linked to its form record with full attribute data.
Multi-Day Offline
Built for extended field campaigns. Collect thousands of records without connectivity. Everything syncs when you return.
Open GIS Formats
Shapefile and GeoJSON, ready for QGIS, ArcGIS, or any standards-compliant platform. Included on every Mapalyze plan.
Consolidated Reports
Combine multiple survey records into a single exportable report for grant submissions, regulatory filings, or stakeholder reviews.
See the complete capabilities list on the features page, or learn how Mapalyze works as a field data collection app purpose-built for teams that operate far from the office.
A Typical Field-to-Lab Workflow
Design your survey form
Build observation templates with species fields, condition dropdowns, photo slots, and geometry capture. Publish the form to your field team before they leave.
Collect data in the field
Open the Mapalyze app, fill out forms, capture GPS geometries, and photograph specimens. Everything is stored locally — no signal needed.
Sync and export
When you are back in range, data syncs automatically. Export to GeoJSON or Shapefile and load directly into QGIS for spatial analysis.
Explore Other Use Cases
Your Crew Is Still Out There Re-Entering Paper Forms Tonight
Start with Explorer — it's free, no time limit, no credit card. Take your data with you if you ever leave.
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