6 Jul 2023

A Review of Sensor-Based Approaches for Monitoring Rapid Response Treatments of cyanoHABs

Abstract: Water quality sensors are dynamic and vary greatly both in terms of utility and data acquisition. Data collection can range from single-parameter and one-dimensional to highly complex multiparameter spatiotemporal. Likewise, the analytical and statistical approaches range from relatively simple (e.g., linear regression) to more complex (e.g., artificial neural networks). Therefore, the decision to implement a particular water quality monitoring strategy is dependent upon many factors and varies widely. The purpose of this review was to document the current scientific literature to identify and compile approaches for water quality monitoring as well as statistical methodologies required to analyze and visualize highly diverse spatiotemporal water quality data. The literature review identified two broad categories: (1) sensor-based approaches for monitoring rapid response treatments of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs), and (2) analytical tools and techniques to analyze complex high resolution spatial and temporal water quality data. The ultimate goal of this review is to provide the current state of the science as an array of scalable approaches, spanning from simple and practical to complex and comprehensive, and thus, equipping the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) water quality managers with options for technology-analysis combinations that best fit their needs.