Researchers in Alberta have introduced a new online tool that allows the public to monitor toxic algae outbreaks in several lakes using satellite technology.
The Algal Bloom Tracker currently monitors six lakes across the province. By combining satellite images with samples collected from the lakes, the platform provides near real-time information about the location and development of harmful blue-green algae blooms. The information can be accessed through a free online map.
Rolf Vinebrooke, an aquatic ecology professor at the University of Alberta and one of the researchers involved in the project, explained that satellites regularly pass over Alberta’s lakes and capture detailed images of the water.
According to Vinebrooke, satellite imagery offers researchers and the public a comprehensive view of an entire lake, making it easier to identify where algae blooms are developing and determine which areas may be unsafe.
Researchers hope to expand the project to cover more lakes in the future, giving communities better access to timely information about potentially harmful algae outbreaks.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE