<< Back

It is the beginning of a new era for monitoring the type and toxicity of harmful algal blooms. Thanks to the development of a remote underwater detection device that is a robotic, fully-functioning analytical laboratory, scientists can now collect algal cells, identify the organism causing a bloom, and measure toxin levels without ever leaving the shore. The device is moored seven to ten meters below the water surface and transmits information to shore via radio signals. According to researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Monterey Bay, this instrument is the first of its kind to do a remote and subsurface detection both of species of algae and the toxins they are producing. It is also available commercially. The instrument was deployed during September and October of 2009 in Monterey Bay and experimental data are being processed.