Comparison of remote sensing algal bloom indices on three turbid eutrophic lakes

Session: Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Toxicity: Remote Sensing and Modeling Approaches (1)

Caren Binding, Environment Canada, [email protected]
Chuiqing Zeng, Environment and Climate Change Canada, [email protected]
Larissa Pizzolato, Environment and Climate Change Canada, [email protected]

Abstract

Comprehensive lake-wide observations of algal blooms are highly valuable in assessing a lake’s health status, developing ecosystem objectives, measuring lake responses to nutrient management practices, and providing an improved understanding of the processes driving blooms. We will present progress made on ECCC’s satellite remote sensing of algal blooms on three turbid eutrophic inland waters (Lake Winnipeg, Lake Erie, and Lake of the Woods) and demonstrate the transition to operational product delivery via a new ECCC web portal. Derived indices for algal bloom intensity, spatial extent, and duration provide robust measures of overall bloom severity on each lake. Bloom indices are analysed in relation to known environmental drivers to explain day to day, seasonal, and inter-annual variations in bloom conditions. Observations from multiple sensors (MERIS, MODIS, OLCI) will be presented and the challenges of between-sensor data continuity discussed. In situ algal and optical observations from coincident field campaigns will be presented in terms of enhancing retrieval algorithm performance and product validation.

Twitter handle of presenter
@EOLakeWatch