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Using Ocean Color Satellite Data to Estimate Economics Benefits Associated with Monitoring and Preventing Harmful Algal Blooms
Citation:
Papenfus, M. Using Ocean Color Satellite Data to Estimate Economics Benefits Associated with Monitoring and Preventing Harmful Algal Blooms. Geo Value conference - Data to Decisions: Valuing the Societal Benefit of Geospatial Information, Paris, France, FRANCE, March 09 - 11, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this presentation is to describe preliminary work that is underway that will illustrate the use of ocean land colour instrument data (Sentinel-3 & Landsat) to detect and monitor harmful algal blooms (HABS) in freshwater lakes for two types of economic analyses. The first part of the analysis will focus on potential cost savings associated with using geospatial information to monitor HAB events. The second thread of economic research will quantify economic benefits associated with avoiding HAB events. This project is a joint effort between four U.S. agencies (EPA, NASA, NOAA, and USGS).
Description:
This presentation describes preliminary work that is underway that will illustrate the use of ocean land colour instrument data (Sentinel-3 & Landsat) to detect and monitor harmful algal blooms (HABS) in freshwater lakes for two types of economic analyses. This project is a joint effort between four U.S. agencies (EPA, NASA, NOAA, and USGS).Algal blooms create several economic impacts across the U.S. States monitor for blooms in order to alert the public and public water suppliers of potential problems. Public water suppliers need to change to alternative and usually more expensive treatment approaches, not only for toxins but also for taste and odor compounds. In some areas, severe blooms can lead to loss of tourism, resulting in severe economic loss. Across the U.S. many states are developing programs to monitor events. However, monitoring costs money, it takes time, and results are often not available in a time-frame that is relevant to some management decisions. Automated detection and forecasting of events based on remote sensing has the potential to improve the quality and timing of HAB related data delivered to resource managers and the public. Automated monitoring may also lead to substantial costs savings. This cost savings would provide flexibility to reallocate scarce public resources into programs focused on reducing the causes of bloom events. Despite the importance of improving monitoring programs for bloom events in freshwater lakes, there is scarce information on how public resources are being spent on this problem and little is known on how the public values efforts to reduce water quality hazards such as harmful algal blooms. To address the paucity of research in this important area, we describe a set of research projects that will be undertaken that both depend on using ocean color satellite data for detecting freshwater HAB events. First, we will begin by exploring the issue of assessing the economic value of information derived from the satellite data. There are many dimensions to this question. This work will focus on the specific issue of identifying how harmful algal blooms are currently detected and monitored (using traditional field-based programs) and estimating the economic costs associated with these strategies. We will then use the satellite data to determine how many waterbodies and total spatial coverage (i.e. area) that can be monitored for each state using state-of-the-art detection algorithms developed within this project. The temporal frequency of monitoring (both field-based, and satellite monitoring) will also be taken into consideration. All of this information will then be combined to determine the potential cost savings (or avoided costs) that will be available to states as a result of using the remote sensing data to monitor waterbodies that were not previously monitored under current programs. The second thread of economic research will examine the economic benefits associated with avoiding harmful bloom events using stated preference methods. Because the benefits of water quality improvements are generally not valued in markets, measuring the economic value of water quality improvements associated with reductions in HAB bloom events requires a nonmarket valuation approach. The satellite data will be used to characterize the frequency, duration, and spatial extent of HAB events and this characterization will be used to describe scientifically valid baseline scenarios that act as a reference point that reflects the state of HAB events in a particular region or set of waterbodies. This baseline characterization will act as the starting point for estimating the economic benefits associated with alternative management options designed to prevent HAB events. The baseline characterization will also be used to develop a set of contingent behavioral questions that will be used to improve our understanding of the behavioral responses to HAB events.