NASA teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to use satellite data in exploring ocean biology.

The joint efforts have produced images of algal bloom in North American waters that will help inform environmental managers and ultimately protect the public.

Algal bloom is a global problem because it puts humans and animals at risk, resulting in fish kills and the contamination of drinking water. In the U.S. alone, costs of harmful algal bloom affecting freshwater have reached about $64 million each year. In August 2014, Toledo, Ohio had to ban drinking water used by over 400,000 residents after contamination from algae in Lake Erie.

The new multi-agency effort costs $3.6 million but will rely on satellite data on ocean color in developing early warning indicators for algal blooms across freshwater systems. An information distribution system will be developed using data gathered, which will then be used to expedite public health advisories.

"We're excited to be putting NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration to work [in] protecting public health and safety," said Charles Bolden, NASA administrator.

Satellite data on ocean color is already available to scientists but don't pass through routine processing and are not produced in formats helpful to water quality and environmental managers on the state and local level. This new project will provide data in more manageable formats to allow better utilization for stakeholders through web portals and mobile devices.

Paula Bontempi from NASA's Earth Science Division said observations using instruments based in space are ideal in tackling public health hazards of this type because global coverage is possible and detailed information on materials present in waters will be provided.

NASA and NOAA pioneered the use of satellite data for monitoring and forecasting algal blooms. Compared to water sampling, satellites let scientists make more frequent observations over a larger expanse. At the moment, satellite data support forecasting systems used by NOAA in the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Holly Bamford, acting conservation and management secretary and deputy administrator of NOAA, observing algae is crucial to understanding blooms, aiding management and forecasts.

The new effort builds upon ocean satellite sensor technologies previously used by NASA to study microscopic algal communities in the world's oceans. Algal communities have an important role to play in the ecology of the water; climate change; and the movement of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere.

Algae is naturally present in fresh and marine waters. They just rapidly multiply and create blooms when certain environmental conditions are met.