The countries of Central America struggle with so-called red tides, or harmful algal blooms. This not only threatens their rich ecosystems but also local economies. The MAReS project, funded by Partners for Water, addresses this by developing a scalable service for detecting and monitoring harmful algal blooms using satellite data and citizen science, and considering the needs of end users. Consortium partners Dr. Andrea Suárez Serrano and Dr. Alexander Kaune discuss the innovative MAReS project with us.

Meet the team

Andrea, the general coordinator of the Centro de Recursos Hídricos para Centroamérica y el Caribe (HIDROCEC) at the Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica, has led various research projects on surface water quality, drinking water and coastal zones. In the MAReS project, the university validates the gathered data and provides scientific and technical support.

Alexander, who holds a PhD in Water Resources Management and has extensive experience in international hydrological and water resources projects, is an independent expert for Kaune Engineering and Science. He coordinates projects, co-develops services, and liaises between project partners and stakeholders.

MAReS

Water Insight, the Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica, and Kaune Engineering and Science are involved in a collaborative project related to water quality monitoring and management. The project aims to create a scalable service that provides near-real-time spatial insights into the location of harmful algal blooms (HABs), also known as ‘red tides.’ This project addresses critical issues affecting local economic sectors such as seafood farms and eco-tourism which depend on a healthy sea environment to be sustainable. Eventually, MAReS will deliver timely alert messages and near-real-time maps indicating the risk levels of red tides occurring in the Costa Rican Pacific, aiding in mitigation efforts.

Efficient data measurements

“We use satellite images as the basis of our tool,” says Alexander. “This results in a service that is affordable and scalable”. Alexander explains how the consortium validates the measurements: “To ensure the satellite data matches reality, we validate the measurements with data from Water Insight Spectrometers (WISPstations) placed in the ocean. These Water Insight Spectrometers determine the bio-physical water quality through high-frequency optical measurements of the surface water.” During the pilot project, Andrea’s team at HIDROCEC-UNA validates the data from satellite and  WISPstation through sea water sampling to obtain the concentration of different types of phytoplankton that can produce red tides. Andrea says: “We also receive daily images of the colour of the surface water through a citizen science approach, where people already working in the sea share images with us through an app. In this way, we have successfully managed to obtain data on red tides in the Costa Rican Pacific from four information sources: satellite images, optical instruments, water sampling and citizen science”.

Andrea adds, “The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work of the MAReS project is a unique and innovative approach. From an academic perspective, the project is very useful as we work with communities dependent on marine resources. Knowing more about the occurrence and detection of red tides is fundamental in developing early warning mechanisms for these communities as well as for tourism, fishing and the environment.”

Problem-driven innovation

“Initially, we knew we wanted to work on water quality using satellite data, but we were uncertain about our specific focus,” says Alexander. “We decided to consult with individuals who face real challenges in water quality, aiming to respond to a need and develop a solution with direct impact.” From previous research projects, Andrea had two potential beneficiaries: Península Papagayo, a service company coordinating various activities and services for eco-tourism in the North Pacific Region of Costa Rica, and Martec-AquaFoods, a mariculture company producing fish in the ocean. “We met with them to explore how our expertise could meet their needs. They immediately identified a critical need to solve the problem of red tides.”

Designing for the end user

“Our end users want a service that timely alerts and maps potential harmful algal blooms and shows their risk level. They also want to see the variables used to generate this indicator, allowing them to compare with their own observations to better understand these events,” says Alexander. To meet these needs, the consortia have regular meetings and feedback workshops with the end users. Alexander states: “For the tool to be useful, the end users need to understand the information it provides. Only they can tell us if it has added value and what should be changed to improve information delivery.”

“In the beginning, we had to push for a participative approach, employees are busy with their own daily activities. We convinced the management to involve everyone in the process, as those on the ground dealing with harmful algal blooms daily know best what is useful for the tool,” says Alexander. Their effort to include the whole team paid off. “We had successful meetings with the employees who go out on the ocean for tourist tours and daily patrols. They were very critical and provided us with excellent feedback, but also eager to help. From them, we are receiving daily images of the colour of the surface water, that can help us to calibrate and validate our model. That’s exactly what we need to improve our tool.”

Scaling up

“The opportunity to scale up this type of project is vast,” says Andrea. “The Central American isthmus, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, requires accurate information for effective decision-making regarding marine resources, which are crucial to the region’s economy. Additionally, our technology could be applied to lakes and rivers that supply water to communities, where monitoring and detecting harmful algae is essential.” Alexander adds, “As long as we can access satellite data, we can monitor the water quality in large areas without needing to take continuous and expensive water samples and provide our affordable service to customers in those areas as well.”

To read a full introduction to the MAReS project, read the first interview here.

Innovation in progress series

During the Partners for Water 2022 – 2027 programme, several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will take you with them on their transformative journey. You’ll be able to gain insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and our LinkedIn page!

Project leader

“Measuring water quality with satellite imagery and spectrometers provides instant, efficient and enduring data,” explains Marnix. He works on the MAReS pilot project alongside Costa Rican consortium partners Universidad Nacional and Kaune Engineers & Architects SRL. Together, they detect and monitor Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) along the Costa Rican Pacific coastline, up to 1000 Kilometres into the ocean, using remote sensing technology. “This isn’t the first time Water Insight is collaborating with Partners for Water,” Marnix shares. “In 2012, we tested one of our portable WISP-3s (Water Insight Spectrometer) devices to monitor surface water quality in Estonia, and we were honoured with the Partners for Water Award.”

This time, more than just a product is being tested. “We aim to create a scalable service that provides near-real-time and spatial insights into the location of the HABs to offer local economic sectors the ability to mitigate. Next to contributing to the Costa Rican economy, the project also supports SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 13: Climate Action.”

Transforming challenges into innovations

The increasing threat of HABs jeopardises the rich coastal ecosystems of Costa Rica and crucial economic sectors such as tourism and aquaculture. “The principal cause of HABs is a mixture of eutrophication and climate change,” says Marnix. “They imperil the water quality and all living organisms because they can contaminate the water with toxins and cause anoxia.” By offering a real-time data and prediction service, the consortium aims to assist end-users with timely warnings about the location of HABs, enabling them to anticipate and relocate activities to uncontaminated sites. “For instance, fish farmers may opt to harvest extra fish before the HAB arrive in order to continue delivery, or diving schools can select alternative spots for tourist dives.”

Before these real-time maps are ready to be used, a substantial amount of data must be collected and tested. “With the help of satellite images, we measure the colour of the water. This data is validated through colour measurements from local WISPstations positioned in the water. With this data, we can provide an indication of current or future algal blooms,” explains Marnix. During the pilot project, the WISP data will be verified through water sample testing by researchers from the consortium partner Universidad Nacional. “The combination of using satellite data, calibrated and continuously validated by a WISPstation, is quite a unique method of measuring algae bloom. And it has never been done before in Costa Rica.”

Consortium partners & local partners

“Working with local partners is crucial for a project like this,” Marnix explains. “We were fortunate to catch the attention of one of our local consortium partners, Kaune Engineers & Architects. They reached out to us and the Universidad Nacional, brought our consortium together, and connected us with two Costa Rican companies that are willing to co-design and ultimately adopt the service.” Marnix shares that they use the so-called ‘agile’ approach. “Through regular meetings and feedback sessions with the end user, we are flexible in making decisions and designing the final product. It makes it easier to implement changes that optimise the service for the end user.”

Next step

“At present, the data from the WISPstation is being validated using water sample measurements,” Marnix shares. “And we are discussing the images we generate from the real-time data with the end users.” He explains: “First of all, to verify that the images correspond with their experiences of the algae bloom, but also to receive feedback on the visual presentation of the data. Because ultimately, we want the end users to have an accurate and usable map to support their mitigation decisions.”

Innovation in progress series

During the Partners for Water 2022 – 2027 programme, several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will take you with them on their transformative journey. You’ll be able to gain insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and our LinkedIn page!