1. Smart phone application development for Coastal and Ocean Monitoring using Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) Imagery
Darryl J. Keith1, Blake A. Schaeffer2, Ross S. Lunetta3, Robyn Conmy4,
Mark S. Murphy5, and Torrin Hultgren5
1EPA/ORD/National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory/ Atlantic Ecology Division
2EPA/ORD/National Exposure Research Laboratory/ Immediate Office of the Director
3EPA/ORD/National Exposure Research Laboratory/ Environmental Service Division
4EPA/ORD/National Risk Management Research Laboratory/ Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division
5CGI Federal/ITS-EPA II Custom Applications Management/Innovatel, Inc.
3rd Annual ISS Research and Development Conference June 18, 2014

2. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mandate to protect human health and the environment requires innovative and sustainable solutions for addressing the Nation’s environmental problems.
The high spatial resolution (95 m) of HICO offers EPA and the environmental monitoring community an unprecedented opportunity to observe changes in coastal, and estuarine water quality across a range of spatial scales not possible with field-based monitoring.
In this project, HICO-derived water quality data were used to develop a prototype mobile application for use by EPA managers.

3. Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service1
Executive Order 13571—
Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service1
Government managers must apply best practices which deliver services
better, faster, and at lower cost.  These include lower-cost, self-service
options accessed by the Internet or mobile phone and improved
processes that deliver services faster….
Digital Government: Building a 21st Century Platform
To Better Serve the American People2
Enable the American people and an increasingly mobile workforce to access
high-quality government information and services anywhere,
anytime, on any device.
Unlock the power of government data to spur innovation across our Nation
and improve the quality of services for the American people.
2Office of Management and Budget,
Executive Office of the President
May 23, 2012
1Executive Office of the President April 27, 2011

4. Presently…… Our Vision……
High resolution sensor imagery of coastal areas and lakes is accessible to scientists but is not processed and delivered to official users (stakeholders, federal and state policy makers as well as environmental managers) or the general public in a manner that demonstrates its practical value to daily life.
Our Vision……
If remotely sensed data are incorporated into the social and economic dynamics for the Nation, through the creation of daily water quality news reports, then people will be aware of water quality conditions at their favorite recreational areas and support sustainable practices/policies which maintain or improve conditions at these locations.

5. Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO)
1st spaceborne imaging spectrometer specifically made for characterization of the coastal ocean
Brandywine Photonics, Inc.
spectrometer
Photometrics Qimaging Rolera-MGi camera
HICO is installed in the HICO-RAIDS experiment payload (HREP) on the Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility 5

6. EPA Mobile Access to Remote Sensing Application
Using atmospherically corrected HICO imagery and a comprehensive field validation program, regionally-tuned algorithms were developed to estimate the spatial distribution of chlorophyll a, colored dissolved organic matter, and turbidity for four estuaries along the northwest coast of Florida from April 2010 – May 2012.
The HICO-derived water quality data from this project were uploaded to a internal EPA HICO website for review and a prototype mobile application developed for use by the EPA Office of Water.

7. Main splash page of mobile application
Toggle selection for state of interest

8. Collected 49 HICO images from NW Florida during April 2010 to May 2012 during ISS Expeditions
Pensacola Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
St. Andrew’s Bay
After selecting a state, the user is able to select a particular water body of interest
St. Joseph’s Bay 8

9. a = [1/Rrs(686) – 1/Rrs(703)] x Rrs(732)
Chlorophyll A (chl a): indicator of phytoplankton abundance and eutrophication
Chl a = X [a]
a = [1/Rrs(686) – 1/Rrs(703)] x Rrs(732)
For example, Pensacola Bay is then displayed with the most recent satellite image (left) and the user has the option to select different water quality parameters (right).

10. Water clarity, measured by Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), is an indicator of the distribution of total suspended matter in estuaries
NTU
June 2, 2011
Turbidity = 2*106 X [Rrs(646)2.7848]
The user also has the option of selecting specific date ranges (left) of available HICO images for Pensacola Bay. The application will then display the selected date (right).  

11. Selection of the “i” in the top right corner of the application allows the user the ability to select a specific location within the Pensacola Bay HICO image.
After selecting the “i” , the user is presented with a dialogue box to enter a specific location to retrieve data. The user can select a location by either clicking on the map, using the device GPS or manually entering coordinates.

12. After selecting a specific location in Pensacola Bay, the user is presented with a time-series graph for all available historical HICO water clarity data.
Users can also enter their own water quality assessment at a specific location using either qualitative or quantitative responses. The data are automatically sent to the administrators.

13. EPA Mobile Access Application EPA Cyan Application ™
EPA Cyan will use NASA, USGS, NOAA, and ESA satellite data products to improve the decision-making ability of water managers responsible for monitoring and assessing both freshwater and estuarine systems.
Using EPA Cyan, people will have the opportunity to be at a location, access satellite imagery on their mobile device and view a map of their surroundings in terms of water quality parameters such as:
phytoplankton and cyanobacteria biomass
suspended material and light attenuation
colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)
water temperature
and interpret the satellite images much like one interprets a weather map !

14. The initial targeted platform will be the Android platform because it is an open source platform, has the largest market share (~55% world-wide sales and steadily increasing to 60%), is available on multiple devices, and is typically the cheaper option for the consumer.

16. The EPA Cyan application will disseminate satellite images as geo-referenced data images to mobile devices.

17. Long-term illnesses
Skin rashes
Median

18. In closing…….
HICO, onboard the ISS, continues to serve as a valuable resource for algorithm development for water quality indicators in estuaries, the coastal ocean, and lakes.
As a test bed for the development /testing of protocols, HICO will be a key component for data collection until the launch of the next generation of ocean color satellites (HyspIRI, Geo-CAPE, and PACE) with hyperspectral sensors later in the decade.
Over the next 4 years, we expect to see an increase in the applied use of remotely sensed water quality data to improve decision support systems for both freshwater and estuarine water quality management throughout EPA and state agencies.

19. Special Thanks to: Oregon State University NASA ISS Program Office
European Space Agency
NASA Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program
and
EPA Office of Research and Development
ORD Pathfinder Innovation Program
Safe and Sustainable Waters Research Program