Program

There are a variety of pressing needs by different user and research communities for ocean observing, for example to detect and track algal blooms as well as monitor coastal and inland water quality in near real-time. However, such needs are often hindered by a lack of resources to perform routine field surveys. On the other hand, the technology used to detect and quantify harmful algal blooms (HABs, commonly known as red tides) and macroalgal blooms (e.g., Sargassum blooms, Ulva blooms), as well as to quantify the various water quality states from satellite remote sensing has improved considerably in the past decade. A remaining challenge is effective delivery of the information generated from these advances in a user-friendly way to a diverse group of stakeholders. Here, we demonstrate a near real-time satellite based system to detect and track algae blooms and monitor coastal and inland water quality in several coastal regions, which has been operating for several years. The system integrates different data products through a custom-made web interface. Specifically, three sub-systems have been established: A Sargassum Watch System to integrate data products for detecting and tracking pelagic Sargassum rafts in the Intra-Americas Sea and Atlantic; a red tide monitoring system to integrate field observations, satellite imagery, and numerical modeling results; and a Virtual Buoy System to monitor current water quality states in estuaries and coastal waters. These near real-time integrated data products are updated daily and weekly with full Google-Earth compatibility, thus providing useful tools for observing coastal and inland water environments.