A method for examining temporal changes in cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom spatial extent using satellite remote sensing

Abstract

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHAB) are thought to be increasing globally over the past few decades, but relatively little quantitative information is available about the spatial extent of blooms. Satellite remote sensing provides a potential technology for identifying cyanoHABs in multiple water bodies and across geo-political boundaries. An assessment method was developed using MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) imagery to quantify cyanoHAB surface area extent, transferable to different spatial areas, in Florida, Ohio, and California for the test period of 2008 to 2012. Temporal assessment was used to evaluate changes in satellite resolvable inland waterbodies for each state of interest. To further assess cyanoHAB risk within the states, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recreational guidance level thresholds were used to categorize surface area of cyanoHABs into three risk categories: low, moderate, and high-risk bloom area. Results showed that in Florida, the area of cyanoHABs increased largely due to observed increases in high-risk bloom area. California exhibited a slight decrease in cyanoHAB extent, primarily attributed to decreases in Northern California. In Ohio (excluding Lake Erie), little change in cyanoHAB surface area was observed. This study uses satellite remote sensing to quantify changes in inland cyanoHAB surface area across numerous water bodies within an entire state. The temporal assessment method developed here will be relevant into the future as it is transferable to the Ocean Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) on Sentinel-3A/3B missions.

Spatial-temporal variability of algal bloom in the Dnipro Reservoirs

“…Явищу "цвітіння" води у світі та Україні присвя чено велику кількість наукових праць [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Зокре ма, чимало публікацій присвячено висвітленню ви дового складу водоростей та змінам, що відбувають ся протягом року.…”

A Review of Water Quality Responses to Air Temperature and Precipitation Changes 2: Nutrients, Algal Blooms, Sediment, Pathogens

“…; Urquhart et al. ; Jung et al. ). Improving the way uncertainties are characterized and communicated, particularly those associated with long‐term changes in precipitation, is needed to best inform management decision making (Johnson et al.…”

“…For example, many Long Term Ecological Research sites (see https://lternet.edu/site/) (and others) continuously monitor changes in water quality, providing unique opportunities to examine connections between water quality trends and climate (Worrall et al 2003;Sun et al 2008;Ford et al 2011;Morse and Wollheim 2014). New technologies should also be explored and/or expanded such as use of continuous in situ monitoring, regular remotely sensed monitoring, or other approaches that can provide efficient, accurate, and reliable JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION detection and tracking of observed water quality responses (Paerl and Huisman 2009;Schaeffer et al 2015;Brooks et al 2016;Urquhart et al 2017;Jung et al 2014). 3.…”

Seasonal dynamics of light absorption by suspended particulate matter and CDOM in highly turbid inland rivers on the Loess Plateau, China

“…With the development of remote sensing, optical remote sensing has become an important method to monitor water quality and natural calamities (e.g. algal blooms; Wang et al, ; Duan, Ma, & Hu, ; Brezonik, Olmanson, Finlay, & Bauer, ; Urquhart, Schaeffer, Stumpf, Loftin, & Werdell, ; Loisel et al, ). Varying concentrations of these OACs present challenges to the remote sensing of water quality (Song et al, ).…”