Toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta can now be tracked online through satellite imagery

Toxic Algae Outbreaks in Alberta Can Now Be Tracked From Space

Toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta are being monitored by researchers across the province, and now the public can follow the situation online from almost anywhere.

A new online tool is making it easier to keep track of toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta. The Algal Bloom Tracker uses satellite imagery and lake sampling to provide near real-time information about algae conditions at six Alberta lakes.

Algal Bloom Tracker

Rolf Vinebrooke, one of the researchers behind the project, said the map is updated when satellites regularly pass over Alberta lakes and capture images of the water.

“A satellite image gives you a view of the entire lake so you exactly know what the nature of the bloom is like and what areas to avoid,” said Vinebrooke, an aquatic ecology professor at the University of Alberta.

WATCH | How to stay safe on lakes when there’s blue-green algae:

How to stay safe on Alberta lakes when there’s blue-green algae

Freshwater ecologist Rolf Vinebrooke talks with Nancy Carlson about how not all algae blooms are toxic and how researchers are using satellites to learn more about the bacteria.

Cyanobacteria, often called blue-green algae, can sometimes multiply rapidly in nutrient-rich Alberta lakes during the summer.

Besides creating noticeable green scum on the water, these blooms can pose serious health risks. Some can produce toxins that may damage liver tissue if swallowed and can also cause neurological damage by interfering with nerve impulses.

“These things are so dynamic,” said Vinebrooke. “A bloom can appear in a matter of days, and equally, it can disappear in the matter of days as well.

“People aren’t on a lake every few days sampling, so the satellite actually enables us to track it much more closely than if you did it the traditional way.”

Tracking Toxic Algae Outbreaks in Alberta With Satellites

Lac La Biche, which has been under an Alberta Health Services health advisory due to algae since July 14, is shown on the Algal Bloom Tracker online map. Using chlorophyll concentrations estimated by an algorithm, the map shows where algal blooms are located and how intense they are.

The satellite tool gives people another way to monitor toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta. Vinebrooke said people planning to visit a lake or take part in recreational activities can check the website to see whether it currently has, or has recently had, a bloom.

Users can also review a lake’s history from previous years to determine whether it has a clean record or a history of frequent outbreaks. This makes the tracker useful for understanding where toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta have occurred and how conditions have changed over time.

The tracker is currently a prototype that has been in development since 2017. It is active for six lakes: Ethel Lake, Lac La Biche, Nakamun Lake, Pigeon Lake, Sylvan Lake and Wabamun Lake.

The lakes were selected because they are popular recreation destinations and represent different levels of bloom frequency. Sylvan Lake rarely experiences blooms and provides a clean baseline, while Lac La Biche is among the lakes with highly frequent blooms.

Vinebrooke said the research team hopes to expand the tracker to about 50 lakes across Alberta within the next three years.

Blue-green algae advisories in place across Alberta

When excessive amounts of blue-green algae are detected in a lake, Alberta Health Services issues a health advisory.

Alberta Health Services health advisories

More than 25 advisories are currently in effect across the province.

The provincial health agency advises people to avoid contact with blooms. That includes avoiding swimming or wading in areas where blooms are visible and not drinking or cooking with water from the affected lake.

For people concerned about toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta, health advisories remain the official source for warnings about specific lakes and water conditions.

WATCH | Blue-green algae advisories issued for 25 Alberta lakes:

Blue-green algae advisories issued for 25 Alberta lakes

Alberta Health Services has issued blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, advisories for 25 lakes across the province. A biologist at the University of Alberta says the toxins produced by the algae can pose health risks to animals, but rarely to humans.

One of the most recent advisories was issued for Lake Sundance, a private lake in southeast Calgary, on Thursday.

Lake Sundance health advisory

The Sundance Lake Residents Association said on social media that it “will continue to monitor lake conditions and work with Alberta Health Services regarding the advisory and water quality.”

The team behind the Algal Bloom Tracker operates separately from Alberta Health Services. Official health advisories are based on physical observations made by health workers and the results of water sample testing.

The tracker is instead designed as a tool to help the public make informed decisions about recreational activities, including where to swim. It can provide additional information for people watching toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta, but it does not replace official health warnings.

“It’s probably best to go along with that health advisory because even if the blue-green algae aren’t there necessarily on a particular beach they might have been there the day before,” Vinebrooke said.

Researchers are also using the project to investigate larger questions surrounding blue-green algae, including whether Alberta’s lakes are becoming worse.

Vinebrooke said historical satellite data provides some answers. While bloom intensity has increased since 2000, the increase has not been “too dramatic.” Instead, the major change has been a much greater year-to-year variation and unpredictability.

This historical data could help researchers better understand the causes and patterns behind toxic algae outbreaks in Alberta and determine which lakes may be more likely to experience future blooms.

WATCH | Blue-green algae is on the rise. Is enough being done to protect our lakes?:

Blue-green algae is on the rise. Is enough being done to protect our lakes?

Blue-green algae blooms are an emerging issue in northwestern Ontario’s waterways. Nathan Wilson, a PhD candidate at Lakehead University, joined the CBC’s Amy Hadley in studio to discuss how monitoring systems can be improved to help keep the region’s aquatic ecosystems healthy.

The project’s website also says the tracker is intended to improve understanding of algal blooms.

Algal Bloom Tracker project website

“Along with these advisories come significant negative impacts to Alberta’s recreation and tourism activities, to real estate values, and to Indigenous communities,” the website reads.

“As a result, knowing when, where, and why harmful algal blooms occur is important to scientists, policy-makers, stewards, residents and recreational lake users.”

Source: CBC News