Using real-time, continuous, and high-frequency water quality data to develop early warning systems for water security in the Great Lakes

有害藻华(赤潮)正变得更加频繁和严重，正在使加拿大的湖泊和河流退化。赤潮会产生对人类有毒的化学物质，扰乱饮用水服务，限制淡水生态系统的娱乐使用，并危及农业。这些事件可能会威胁到依赖清洁、安全水的加拿大经济。为了更好地管理赤潮疫情，加拿大需要1)更好地了解导致疫情爆发的潜在因素，2)开发一个早期预警系统，帮助我们及早和快速地预测和检测事件，3)建立模型，使自来水公司能够确保向公众和农业提供安全的水。为了实现这些目标，我们需要一个收集连续实时水质数据的系统。我们建议使用实时水生生态系统观测网络(RAEON)部署实时浮标和自主水下航行器，定期收集伊利湖西部盆地的营养物质和物理、化学和生物标准的实时数据。这些数据将用于制定预警指标和水安全模型。还将使用土地利用数据、营养实验、水流的水文模拟和人工取水来提供全面的评估，以扩大对生物圈生物群落动态的了解。生物地球化学家、湖泊学家、工程师和行业经理将在这个项目上共同努力，并将采取全系统的方法来了解湖泊中的过程如何影响水质。他们将利用这些知识向包括公众和行业在内的用户提供安全的水。三个私人伙伴--联合供水系统公司、Innova Sea公司和Pro-Ocean公司--将帮助促进水质领域迅速采用各种方法和模型。环境和气候变化加拿大将参与支持淡水生态系统管理和政策的制定。此外，这项合作还包括四所大学--温莎大学、特伦特大学、女王大学和多伦多大学--并将培训10名环境研究和技术方面的学生。

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming more frequent and severe and are degrading Canada's lakes and rivers. HABs can produce chemicals that are toxic to humans, disrupting drinking water service, limiting recreational use of freshwater ecosystems, and compromising agriculture. These events can threaten the Canadian economy, which depends on clean, safe water. To better manage HABs outbreaks, Canada needs to 1) better understand the underlying factors that lead to outbreaks, 2) develop an early warning system that would help us predict and detect events early and quickly, and 3) create models that allow water utilities to ensure delivery of safe water to the public and agricultural industries. To accomplish these goals, we need a system that collects continuous real-time water quality data. We are proposing to use the Real-time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON) to deploy real-time buoys and autonomous underwater vehicles that will regularly collect real-time data on nutrients and physical, chemical, and biological criteria in the western basin of Lake Erie. These data will be used to develop early warning indicators and water security models. Land use data, nutrient experiments, hydrologic modeling of water currents, and manual water collections will also be used to provide a comprehensive assessment to expand understanding of HAB dynamics. Biogeochemists, limnologists, engineers, and industry managers will work together on this project and will take a whole-system approach to understand how processes in the lake affect water quality. They will use that knowledge to deliver safe water to users, including the public and industry. Three private partners -- Union Water Supply System, InnovaSea, and Pro-Oceanus -- will help facilitate rapid uptake of methods and models into the water quality community. Environment and Climate Change Canada will participate to support development of management and policy for freshwater ecosystems. In addition, this collaboration includes four universities -- Windsor, Trent, Queen's and Toronto -- and will train 10 students in environmental research and technology.