Cyanobacteria Bloom Assessment in Lakes of the Contiguous United States using Satellite Observations

OneNOAA Science Seminar Series

NOCCG Seminar cross-listed with OneNOAA and STAR Seminars

Title: CyanobacteriaBloom Assessment in Lakes of the Contiguous United States using SatelliteObservations

Speaker:  Sachi Mishra, NOAA NCCOS   

Sponsor(s):
NOAA Ocean Color Coordinating Group (NOCCG)

Seminar Contact:
Merrie.Neely@noaa.gov

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Abstract: Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) are seriousenvironmental, water quality, and public health issues worldwide. CyanoHABsproduce toxins and odorous compounds that can adversely affect public drinkingwater supplies, as well as recreation, fisheries, and tourism. A method tosystematically derive quantitative information on spatiotemporal distributionsof CyanoHAB magnitude is needed, thereby allowing for effective evaluation ofrecreational and drinking water lakes. In this study, we present a method forestimating CyanoHAB magnitude in freshwater lakes using satellite observations.CyanoHAB magnitude was estimated as the spatiotemporal mean ofsatellite-derived areal CyanoHAB biomass, which is calculated from MediumResolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Ocean Land Color Imager (OLCI)sensors. CyanoHAB magnitudes in all satellite-resolvable Contiguous UnitedStates (CONUS) lakes were calculated for the entire MERIS (2003–2011) and OLCI(2016–present) time series. These CONUS lakes were further ranked based onmedian magnitude over the years. With 300 m × 300 m resolution, 2,369 lakeswere evaluated, with the majority of these lakes in Minnesota, Maine, Michigan,Texas, and Florida. About 40% of all the lakes had CyanoHAB magnitude ofpotentially high risk (based on World Health Organization guidelines), comparedwith 1/3 of lakes in the National Lake Assessment having cyanotoxins. Theselakes were found in all regions of the country. Ranking of lakes providesactionable insight, which can be used by water quality managers to prioritizemanagement strategies. The same method could be transferred to other geographicregions and therefore be applied to lakes around the world for assessingCyanoHABs.

About the Speaker: Sachi Mishra receivedhis Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Science from Mississippi State University in2012 with a focus on ocean color remote sensing and CyanoHABs. Then, he wasappointed as Associate Remote Sensing Scientist in the Data Science Group at DowInc. He came to NCCOS in December 2016, and since then, he has been workingclosely with Dr. Rick Stumpf as a member of the CyAN project team. His researchinterests are focused on the use of remote sensing and geospatial technology tostudy HABs.

 Slides: When available after the seminar they can be found here: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/PastSeminars_NOCCG.php

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{Sachi Mishra, NCCOS}