#red tides

Helping to Predict Algal Blooms with AI and IoT

When algae blooms turn toxic, they can inflict sweeping harm on wildlife and humans that enter their path. One type of these algae overgrowths in coastal regions have a name—red tides—and in Florida, they’re such a problem that the governor has declared a state of emergency. It’s crunch time for research, and IBM is helping lead the charge, finding answers 1,000 miles away in New York’s Lake George. The Jefferson Project, a partnership between IBM Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and The FUND for Lake George, is turning the lake into a living laboratory. They’re using AI and IoT-connected sensors to power a new advance in environmental monitoring, modeling how bodies of water react to higher concentrations of humans, chemical runoff, and other disruptors. They’re collecting around nine terabytes of data per year, and the insights derived from this treasure trove of data may help unlock the power to literally stem red tides. The Jefferson Project is one of many IBM efforts to help preserve the environment for current and future generations.

Learn more about the Jefferson Project ->