Relating spectral shape to cyanobacterial blooms in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract

A change in the spectral shape at 681 nm is used to distinguish blooms of cyanobacteria from blooms of other phytoplankton via MERIS satellite sensor imagery. During large cyanobacterial blooms, the spectral shape around 681 nm is not a positive quantity as scattering due to cyanobacteria overwhelms the fluorescence signal, thus creating a negative spectral shape. This relationship is consistent in both remotely sensed and in situ data.

Acknowledgements

MERIS imagery was provided by the European Space Agency (Category‐1 Proposal C1P.3975). Funding was provided by the NOAA Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health. The authors would like to thank Phillip Keegstra and Sathyadev Ramachandran for assistance in processing data.