Remote Sensing Images of Algal Blooms Used to Estimate Water Quality in Northern Gulf of Mexico
Research supported by the South Central CASC combines remote sensing imagery with in-situ stream sampling to develop a technique for estimating estuary eutrophication levels across large spatial scales.
Read the South Central CASC news release here.
Agricultural runoff filled with nutrient-rich fertilizers create algal blooms that can overwhelm freshwater ecosystems, particularly delicate coastal estuaries. This process of eutrophication, where algae starve surrounding plants and animals for light and oxygen, can occur quickly over large areas, increasing managers’ need to mount timely responses. Researchers supported by the South Central CASC combined Landsat 8/OLI remote sensing imagery with continuous water quality sampling to increase the accuracy of eutrophication models in the Barataria Basin estuary complex in Louisiana. They found that the remote sensing images could be used to estimate the green pigment, or chlorophyl levels, in algal blooms, and serve as a proxy of eutrophication across the basin. This technique may improve the process of measuring eutrophication across large spatial scales and over time. These methods may aid freshwater managers in developing sustainable management, restoration, and conservation strategies for coastal ecosystems.
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