Project: The remote sensing component for the Delaware Coastal Observing System: A gap to be filled (R/ETE-15)

Principal Investigators: Xiao-Hai Yan, Matthew Oliver, and Young-Heon Jo, University of Delaware

In coastal areas, fresh water from inland areas meets salty ocean water in complex mixing zones. Nutrients from surface runoff are carried into coastal waters, sometimes causing a burst of algae growth. These “algal blooms” can deprive waters of oxygen and reduce water clarity. Improved understanding of the environmental conditions favorable for algal bloom occurrence would be very helpful to scientists and resource managers.

This project will incorporate satellite-based remote sensing technologies to give scientists another tool for monitoring our coastal waters. The use of satellites to track coastal conditions will allow them to gather data quickly and over large areas.