File:Algal Blooms (16461448213).jpg

English: Algal blooms are a worldwide environmental issue that cause fish kills, human and animal health risks, and can foul drinking water. Last summer, officials in Toledo, Ohio, banned the use of drinking water supplied to more than 400,000 residents after it was contaminated by an algal bloom in Lake Erie.

NASA has joined forces with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey to transform satellite data into information that will help protect the American public from harmful freshwater algal blooms.

A new multi-agency effort will use ocean color satellite data to develop an early warning indicator for toxic and nuisance algal blooms in freshwater systems and an information distribution system to aid speedy public health advisories.

The project builds on years of NASA satellite technology created to study the global ocean’s microscopic algal communities, which play a big role in climate change, ocean ecology, and the movement of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and ocean.

NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term satellite data records. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing.

For more information on NASA’s Earth science activities, visit: www.nasa.gov/earth

Story: www.nasa.gov/press/2015/april/nasa-joins-forces-to-put-sa...

1. EarthRightNow #NASA #Earth #NOAA #USGS #water #algae #algalblooms #ocean #health #satellite #environment