For the past couple of months, Gabriel has been working with NASA's Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), helping direct a project called "Monitoring Lakes from Space in a Changing Climate." In a team along with a math teacher, undergraduate, and high school student, Gabriel developed a regional algorithm for harmful algal bloom (HAB) detection in New York State. Increasingly so in these freshwater systems, HABs pose a significant ecological risk, necessitating effective monitoring and management strategies. Using both in-situ lake water quality data from 35 large lakes in the state and Sentinel 2 imagery, they explored the relationships between satellite reflectance and chlorophyll-a using both linear and machine learning models. This project challenged and pushed them to develop many new skills, both technical and professional. This project was a fascinating exploration of remote-sensing capabilities and how they relate to environmental monitoring, Gabriel looks forward to seeing how this project develops with the NASA CCRI and its partnership with the incredible academics at the New York City College of Technology.
