A System for Dynamically Monitoring and Warning Algae Blooms in Taihu Lake Based on Remote Sensing

The outbreak of algae blooms in the Taihu Lake, China is more and more frequent in recent years and has become a big threat to ecological environment, aquatic breeding industry and human health. A model to monitor algae blooms based on remote sensing data was developed by analyzing spectral characteristics and content of algae blooms of water samples collected in Taihu Lake and features of MODIS data. Meanwhile, a model evaluating the possibility of algae blooms outbreak was constructed according to the effects of meteorological and hydrological conditions on algae blooms. On the basis of these two models, a system for dynamically warning and monitoring algae blooms in Taihu Lake was developed. The initial application of this system demonstrates that it can be practically used to warn and monitor algae blooms in Taihu Lake. The strategies used to construct the system and its major characteristics are introduced in this paper.