A comparative analysis of data-driven modeling approaches to forecast cyanobacteria algal blooms in eutrophic lake discharge canals.

This study explored the use of data-driven models to develop management-oriented prediction tools for algae blooms (ABs) represented by Chlorophyll-A (Chla) concentrations, using the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie canals in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, as case studies. By comparing two modeling approaches, i.

Day-ahead statistical forecasting of algal bloom risk to support reservoir release decisions in a highly engineered watershed.

Predicting algal blooms in waterways receiving inflows from multiple sources is challenging since blooms and their drivers can originate from diverse sources. Models that mechanistically simulate the formation and transport of algal blooms are often computationally intensive, creating barriers to using them for daily decision-making. Given this challenge, we developed a statistical risk forecasting framework for the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary in southwest Florida, United States of America, which receives engineered water releases from the eutrophic Lake Okeechobee, as well as hydrologic inputs from the surrounding watershed.

Fate of a toxic Microcystis aeruginosa bloom introduced into a subtropical estuary from a flow-managed canal and management implications.

The Caloosahatchee Estuary in southwest Florida, USA, is regularly subject to the introduction of toxic Microcystis aeruginosa blooms, often originating from the eutrophic Lake Okeechobee via the C-43 Canal. The focus of this study was to determine the responses of one of these introduced blooms to progressively elevated salinity levels as the bloom water mass moved through the estuary. In the upper estuary, salinities were freshwater, and surface blooms of large colonies of M.

Initial estuarine response to inorganic nutrient inputs from a legacy mining facility adjacent to Tampa Bay, Florida.

Legacy mining facilities pose significant risks to aquatic resources. From March 30th to April 9th, 2021, 814 million liters of phosphate mining wastewater and marine dredge water from the Piney Point facility were released into lower Tampa Bay (Florida, USA). This resulted in an estimated addition of 186 metric tons of total nitrogen, exceeding typical annual external nitrogen load estimates to lower Tampa Bay in a matter of days.