Tracking harmful algal blooms with satellites

By Murphy Woodhouse

Published November 15, 2023 at 4:32 PM MST

A man on a dock scoops up greenish water into a water bottle. — Before heading back to Boise, Tyler King snagged a water sample full of what he thought could be cyanobacteria with his personal water bottle.

Harmful algal blooms are a major problem in water bodies across our region. Detecting them can be complicated. Using the power of satellites, researchers in Idaho have developed a tool that could make detection more efficient – not just there, but across the West. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Murphy Woodhouse tells us more.

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Murphy Woodhouse

As Boise State Public Radio's Mountain West News Bureau reporter, I try to leverage my past experience as a wildland firefighter to provide listeners with informed coverage of a number of key issues in wildland fire. I’m especially interested in efforts to improve the famously challenging and dangerous working conditions on the fireline.

See stories by Murphy Woodhouse