Potential Application of the New Sentinel Satellites for Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Galician Aquaculture

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) in the Rias Baixas area (Galicia) cause a strong ecological and economic impact, since they can even force the closure of the rafts production areas for mollusc culture. In this work, we introduce a method for detection and monitoring of HABs in Galicia based on the analysis of map products derived from optical satellite images, including chlorophyll a concentration or species indicators. The approach is developed in the framework of CoastObs project, which started in 2017 and explores the potential of new Sentinel satellites for coastal water monitoring, suggesting different applications such as seagrass, phytoplankton size class or HABs detection. Preliminary results obtained using a set of images acquired on July 2018 suggest the great potential of this approach, which could complement the existing monitoring program based on direct observations.