Field-Validated Detection of Aureoumbra lagunensis Brown Tide Blooms in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Using Sentinel-3A OLCI and Ground-Based Hyperspectral Spectroradiometers

With support from the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation, Dr. Joseph Ortiz of Kent State University and Dr. Edith Widder of ORCA led a study that successfully deployed a field-validated, hyperspectral imaging system to detect harmful Aureoumbra lagunensis (“brown tide”) blooms in marine environments. Calibrated across field sites and matched with lab-confirmed samples, their system demonstrated accurate real-time satellite identification of brown tide blooms in complex coastal waters. This work highlights the importance of combining advanced optical sensors with machine-learning classification to monitor harmful algal blooms in situ, providing environmental managers with a powerful tool for early detection and mitigation. The research by Ortiz, Widder, and colleagues is published in GeoHealth and can be accessed here (Ortiz et al., 2019)