Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2021OK006G

Forecasting Harmful Hlagal Blooms Using Molecular Mehods and Unmanned Systems

Institute: Oklahoma
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2021 Start Date: 2021-10-01 End Date: 2023-09-30
Total Federal Funds: $250,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $250,000

Principal Investigators: Mark James Krzmarzick

Abstract: Increased nutrient releases to surface waters promote the growth of nuisance and harmful algal blooms (HABs) that diminish the utility of reservoirs for recreation, drinking water supply, and ecosystem services. The impacts of HABs on freshwater resources have recently increased throughout multiple states. There is a critical need for new observational methods and models to predict HAB formation, inform land and water resources management policies, and guide HAB mitigation strategies. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a new method to predict the formation of HABs and algal toxins in freshwater systems. This method uses high-resolution datasets with unmanned systems outfitted with sensors, selected water sampling, and machine learning algorithms to predict HAB and toxin formation.