Toxic cyanobacteria and remote sensing

February 2, 2016

Date: Feb 2, 2016

Time : 12pm

Location: Steinman 623

Title: “Toxic cyanobacteria and remote sensing”.

Dr. Richard Stumpf, NOAA NOS.

As a coastal oceanographer, Dr Stumpf has focused on making satellite data useful in solving coastal problems, including water quality, wetlands, eutrophication, and harmful algal blooms.

Invited by Dr. Samir Ahmed, NOAA-CREST

Cyanobacteria found in fresh and brackish water can produce toxins that are a significant risk to people and animals. As such, they are frequently called cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms or cyanoHABs. Using field sampling to identify which water bodies have these blooms is a daunting task. Several characteristics of the blooms lead to the use of remote sensing. Chlorophyll-a only weakly fluoresces compared to algae, and several of the key toxic cyanobacterial species have phycocyanin, a pigment that absorbs orange-red light. As a result satellites with the correct bands, or hyperspectral sensors, can detect these blooms. Also, some cyanobacteria tend to float especially in the early day, making them more visible to remote detection. Using this information it is possible to monitor and forecast blooms. In Lake Erie, the accumulation of satellite data has allowed progress in assessing the nutrient loads that drive these blooms, so that they can be predicted. This information is valuable for public water suppliers and to boaters, as well as to the development of nutrient management plans to reduce the blooms.