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Expanding nutrient indicator monitoring with satellites
Citation:
Schaeffer, B., M. Coffer, D. Graybill, M. Lebrasse, W. Salls, AND P. Whitman. Expanding nutrient indicator monitoring with satellites. Office of Water N-STEPS Webinar, Virtual, November 04, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
We provide an overview of progress made to monitor cyanobacteria and seagrass as nutrient response indicators from satellite remote sensing. This work may provide large spatial coverage and reduce costs of monitoring.
Description:
New technologies are changing the way we can monitor pollution levels in the environment. While satellite technology cannot detect nutrients directly, EPA is studying their utility for monitoring indicators of nutrients through environmental responses in aquatic environments. Nutrient pollution, excess nitrogen and phosphorous, may cause potential declines of seagrass in coastal waters and excessive cyanobacterial growth in freshwater systems. Recent advances in research combine commercial and public satellite data with machine learning to assess seagrass dynamics at different spatial and temporal scales in coastal systems. An overview of the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network satellite project for monitoring cyanobacteria across US lakes will summarize recent validation efforts and methods quantifying the temporal frequency, spatial extent, magnitude, and occurrence of these events. Satellite technologies, even with technical limitations, may provide a powerful complement to current monitoring activities with broader spatial coverage on nutrient response indicators.