The Alabama Gulf Coast is one of the most fertile aquatic environments for fisheries, providing critical breeding and nursery habitats for numerous fish species. The survival, growth, reproduction, and recruitment of fishery and aquaculture resources depend on favorable environmental and water quality conditions.

We are working on a project to develop a remote sensing–driven, near real-time monitoring and mapping system for the Mobile Bay estuary. This system will enable continuous assessment of seasonal and interannual variability in environmental and aquatic conditions. Using multiple satellite observations, we will derive and map key parameters such as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended sediments (TSS), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM).

To achieve this, we will design and calibrate remote sensing algorithms and models capable of producing high-resolution daily maps of these variables. Targeted field surveys will collect water quality measurements alongside drone-based multispectral and thermal imagery to support calibration and validation efforts. The Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform will then be used to scale up these measurements, leveraging its extensive satellite data archives to automate computation, mapping, and visualization. This approach will generate dynamic products including environmental condition maps, habitat suitability indices, and oyster growth potential forecasts.

This near real-time, autonomous monitoring system represents a significant advancement over current efforts, which rely primarily on periodic sampling and fixed monitoring stations. Designed for sustainability and ease of use, the system will provide fisheries managers, aquaculture operators, and other stakeholders across Alabama with timely, actionable insights to support resource management and industry development.