Enhanced Spectral Optimization Tools for monitoring the development and dynamics of Harmful Algal Blooms and coral bleaching. - App.C-Ali

This project seeks funding to address the problem of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching through a scientific partnership between the College of Charleston (CofC- SC), the Naval Research Lab (NRL- D.C) and NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC- CA). We propose to assess the uncertainties in existing data and model products that are used to quantify the relationship between observations of optical properties of water by high resolution visible and near-infrared (VNIR) earth observation satellite sensors and optically active constituents (OACs) observed in-situ. This relationship will be tested against long-term records and targeted assessments of HABs and coral health in order to accurately identify potential water quality stressors on ecosystem health. This proposal is in response to NNH20ZHA001C (NASA’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Rapid Response Research), focusing on developing a remote sensing tool to not only detect and quantify the presence of various water quality parameters that initiate HABs or coral bleaching but also provide measures of uncertainties in the estimates, which would be valuable for resource managers and decision-makers. This research falls into Appendix C: SMD Earth Sciences Division of the CAN, and research topic 4: Earth System Response to Environmental Disasters, specifically HABs and coral bleaching. Toxic algal blooms in coastal and inland waters are harmful to the environment and human society for a number of reasons, including reduction in biodiversity, disruption of healthy ecosystem functions, infliction of fatal and non-fatal diseases on human and animal life, and disruption of tourism and recreational activities. In coral reef habitats, degraded water quality due to influx from terrestrial pollution is negatively affecting the health of coral reef organisms, resulting in recurring mass bleaching events severely impacting the ecosystem. These effects can be magnified when combined with stressors such as extreme temperature events, which can initiate wide spread development of HABs, and damage coral symbiosis, leading to coral bleaching. Identifying differences in water quality that lead to development of HABs and affect short-term reef organism health and long-term reef development can assist managers in controlling negative impacts on these vital ecosystems. This research is extremely important in regions such as the Great Lakes where HABs result in illness-related public health crises, losses in commercial fisheries as well as recreation and tourism impacts. This research will also have a great impact in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), where coral reef-dependent tourism is the primary driver of the economy and declines in reef related services would have significant economic impacts. In large dynamic marine environments, remote sensing (RS) technology can provide timely and spatially explicit information regarding changes once the data is calibrated using in-situ measurements. Our project will merge two promising classes of model products: a) a radiative transfer based fast spectral optimal estimation (OE) approach, and b) a full waveform spectral decomposition (FWDc) method to develop the next generation of ocean color remote sensing products best suited for use with multi- and hyper- spectral sensors. For this project, we will use existing in-situ oceanographic and atmospheric data archived at NASA’s SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) and field data that were collected over several years from our own previous projects in the Great Lakes and in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The specific data that will be used include, but are not limited to, in-situ optical data (radiance, irradiance, backscattering), satellite-derived optical data (Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS) and water quality data (dissolve organic matter, phytoplankton density, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, etc.)

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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