UF researchers and other scientists developing algae bloom alert system

Algae blooms in Florida waters can happen quickly and become rather disgusting with little warning. But University of Florida (UF) researchers along with other scientists at other universities are developing a system to help alert officials to where the environmental phenomena break out.

Algae blooms are an unsightly, blue-green and slimy mess that produce a slick film that covers the surface of water. But they are also toxic to many animals, including humans and can cause environmental damage. UF scientists in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) and North Carolina State University are in the process of developing a next-day prediction modeling system that could alert water management officials to outbreaks of algae blooms.

The project is getting $4.4 million in funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. David Kaplan, a UF Professor at the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment is leading much of the research along with USF Associate Professor Mauricio Arias. Kaplan said early indications show the alert system poses notable efficacy.

Using water samples and computer algorithms, the team developed prediction models based on two water sources feeding the Caloosahatchee River: Lake Okeechobee and the river’s watershed – the water run-off from the surrounding land.

“For watershed-dominated conditions, the model was able to predict 49% of the variation in next-day chlorophyll-a, which isn’t bad, but for lake-dominated conditions, the model was much better, explaining 78% of the variation in next-day chlorophyll-a in the water,” Kaplan said.

The initial project is called Coupling Lake, Estuarine, and Watershed Models for the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary (CLEW) – designed data- and model-driven guidance for Lake Okeechobee water releases.

“The overall motivation is that Lake Okeechobee is a challenging natural resource to manage, particularly deciding when and how much water to discharge from the lake to either estuary,” Kaplan said. “There are many competing needs surrounding management of the lake, which has only so much volume. We don’t want to cause flooding or other ecological harm.”

Algae blooms have been the bane for South Florida waterways surrounding Lake Okeechobee for decades since many of the shallow channels were deepened in man-made projects for about 100 years. The blooms can not only destroy marine life and can adversely affect water supplies.