Presented by: Shelly Tomlinson, NOAA
High frequency monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) through satellite remote sensing has been beneficial in protecting public and environmental health globally. HAB forecasts, which utilize ocean color remote sensing to initialize bio-physical models, have been transitioned to operations in many locations around the coastal US. These forecasts rely on state and volunteer monitoring programs to quantify phytoplankton abundance and verify species identification. Neither remote sensing nor in situ monitoring alone can give a comprehensive picture of bloom geographic distribution and phytoplankton composition, both of which are critical to assess HAB risk and guide management decisions. This seminar will discuss the co-development of a monitoring and forecasting surveillance system for HABs in Chesapeake Bay, through remote and in situ observations, and forecast models.
Shelly Tomlinson has been a member of the Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting Branch at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, NOAA since 2002. As a research oceanographer at the branch and the East Coast Node manager for NOAA’s CoastWatch program, Shelly has been responsible for developing satellite remote sensing products and tools for algal bloom monitoring, the development and successful transfer of operational forecasts for HABs in several regions across the U.S., and the development of tools and training activities associated with CoastWatch. Shelly is a steering committee member of the Harmful Algal Bloom Observing Network Community of Practice and a member of the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae. Shelly received her B.S. in Marine Science Biology from Southampton College of Long Island University (1995) and a M.S. in Oceanography from Old Dominion University (1998).
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