CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A team from the the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is making strides to combat harmful algal blooms (HABs) through its innovative Depth Resolved Algal Bloom Mapping (DRABM) initiative. By creating an interactive, real-time dashboard that visualizes subsurface water quality data, ERDC is transforming how HABs are detected and managed, helping to protect public health, support local economies and enhance flood risk management operations.
“This work is very meaningful to me, because we are developing an innovative tool for water resource managers to safeguard their communities,” said Marissa Campobasso, a researcher at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) and DRABM project lead. “The dashboard tool will be used for early HAB detection and warning by utilizing live data, and this sensor network will shed light on the extent of the bloom throughout the water column as opposed to traditional monitoring techniques that are limited to surface blooms.”
HABs are overgrowths of algae that, in some cases and conditions, can pose serious environmental and public health threats. These blooms can release toxins that contaminate drinking water, harm aquatic life and create oxygen-depleted "dead zones" that result in fish kills and ecosystem collapse. Beyond the environmental damage, HABs also carry steep economic costs, impacting tourism, recreational activities, property values and increasing the burden on water treatment infrastructure.
Traditional HAB monitoring methods rely on surface-level observations, which often fail to capture the full scope of the problem. However, factors like light and temperature can cause algae to flourish well below the surface, creating a significant blind spot. ERDC’s DRABM initiative tackles this challenge with a 3D visualization tool that reveals the full depth and extent of blooms in real time, offering a more complete and actionable picture for water resource managers.
“Characterizing the bloom distribution, especially at early stages of bloom development, will allow water resource managers to deploy emergency response technologies to nip the problem at the bud before the blooms proliferate and become harder to manage,” explained Campobasso. “Additionally, knowing where the bloom is located is helpful for positioning the intake of drinking water plants so that HABs and their byproducts, toxins or taste and odor compounds, can be avoided.”
By closing this data gap, DRABM enhances existing remote sensing efforts and equips agencies with the tools needed to respond quickly and effectively. The initiative’s goal is to provide a dynamic view of bloom development, distribution and intensity, enabling smarter decisions about mitigation strategies and emergency response.
In 2023, Campobasso, alongside researchers from ERDC’s CERL, Environmental Laboratory (EL), the US. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, and the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) deployed long-term monitoring sensors suspended from buoys at their pilot site in Clinton Lake, Kansas. The system collects data and transmits it to a cloud storage using telemetry. From there, researchers from ERDC-CERL and ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) used that data to build the 3D visualization dashboard. Over one full HAB season, the team tracked bloom lifecycles in detail.
“We collected an amazing amount of data, over 100,000 measurements! This included chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, a pigment exclusive to HABs, dissolved oxygen and temperature,” explained Campobasso. “We are having a lot of fun conducting data analysis now and working with the KBS to interpret the results to tell a good story.”
Collaboration is key to the success of this initiative. ERDC is partnering with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts in Kansas City and Jacksonville, as well as the South Florida Water Management District, to ensure comprehensive site selection and access to key water bodies. Local research groups, including the KBS & Center for Ecological Research, provide invaluable insights on sensor placement and maintenance. Together with other research teams funded by the Army's ANSRP program, these collaborations will integrate subsurface and surface data, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of the HAB tracking system.
“HABs have occurred in more than 100 Kansas waterbodies in the last decade,” said Ted Harris, an associate research professor with the KBS. “Working on this project with ERDC will help Kansans understand and ultimately find ways to mitigate the impact of HABs on drinking water supplies and water recreation.”
Monitoring HABs is crucial not only for ecosystem health, but it is also important for public safety and economic stability. Early detection systems like DRABM can help citizens stay informed about potential health hazards, minimize costly drinking water contamination and preserve the quality of life in communities that rely on freshwater resources.
With its real-time monitoring capabilities, the DRABM system will not only provide critical data for immediate response efforts but also lay the groundwork for long-term strategies to prevent future HAB outbreaks. The ERDC team is set to complete this research project in 2026. By supporting flood risk management, protecting vital water resources and safeguarding public health, ERDC's innovative approach offers a transformative tool for communities and ecosystems at risk from harmful algal blooms.