Lake Erie From Above… Way Above

Everyone who lives on the shores of Lake Erie has probably seen an algal bloom—sheets of green or blue-green algae covering the water’s surface, sometimes accompanied by a foul odor of rotten eggs that can severely impact water quality. In a best-case scenario, such algal blooms lead to unpleasant weekends at the beach, but worst-case scenarios can range from fish kills to liver damage due to the toxins some algae release. These potential difficulties make effective monitoring systems an important research priority.

To observe algal blooms and the related changes in water quality in the Great Lakes region, Dr. Joseph Ortiz at Kent State University is developing a method that uses satellite imagery to determine the level of chlorophyll—a green plant pigment present in many types of algae—in the lake water. His research, which is currently funded by Ohio Sea Grant, focuses on the Western Basin of Lake Erie, where environmental conditions make determining algal levels, both with conventional methods and from the satellite imagery, more difficult than in the rest of the lake. However, remote sensing technology is likely to be of use in monitoring water quality in the entire Great Lakes system.