GreatBear, re the many eyes approach, search for "astronomical "green pea"" without the outer quotes. This was an astronomical many eyes project result. They found a brand new type of object in the heavens because some one observer noticed something odd.
Amateurs does not mean inexperienced or ignorant garage mechanic. It more often means a dedicated practitioner with an excess of experience whether or not the education is there. It's an important technique.
If they open the database and its formats they can post the word to slashdot. That will result in an utterly overwhelming number of eyes, I am sure. Add a modest reward and some 15 minutes of fame to the mix and it'll be impossible to chase them away. If anything is there to find, it will be found.
{^_-}