Set your place
Pan and zoom to a reach, pond, or waterbody. Use the search tool in Copernicus Browser to locate a named place.
Blue-Green Algae Remote Sensing Monitor V3
A Sentinel-2 workspace for screening cyanobacteria conditions in the Wallkill River watershed. Follow the steps below, inspect the live Copernicus scene, then copy an evalscript for your own analysis.
Before you begin
How to use the Copernicus Browser map
This map displays Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Use it to screen for visible water-quality patterns and test the HAB scripts below. Satellite imagery is most useful on clear days and should be checked against field observations.
Choose a clear scene
Set a recent date range, review thumbnails, and choose a low-cloud Sentinel-2 scene. Clouds and shadows can obscure water.
Run an indicator
Select a script below, copy it, then open Visualization and Custom Script in Copernicus Browser. Paste the code and apply it.
Confirm in the field
Compare the layer against true color and local observations. Report a suspected bloom to NYSDEC rather than relying on satellite output alone.
Best practice: For Wallkill River HAB screening, inspect true color first, apply the PCI or NDCI visualization second, and document the image date, cloud conditions, location, and any field evidence.
Need official New York HAB information?
View NYSDEC's NYHABS dashboard for reported blooms, state monitoring context, and the official reporting pathway.
Interactive workspace
01 Inspect a low-cloud scene
02 Choose an indicator script
03 Validate with field observations
Use map controls to set date, area of interest, and cloud coverage.
Sentinel-2 revisit: typically 2–5 days
Phycocyanin Concentration Guide
Pristine0–5 mg/m³
Good5–20 mg/m³
Moderate concern20–100 mg/m³
High concern100–300 mg/m³
Extreme bloomOver 300 mg/m³
Satellite indicators are screening tools, not a public-health determination. Verify suspected blooms with field observations and report them to NYSDEC.
Copernicus Browser Evalscript Library
Choose a script, copy it, then paste it into Copernicus Browser's Custom Script panel.
How to run the script in Copernicus Browser
- Open the full-screen Copernicus map above.
- Choose a Sentinel-2 scene with low cloud cover.
- Open Visualization, then Custom Script.
- Paste the selected evalscript and choose Apply.
Cloud-cover note: Clouds, shadows, turbidity, shallow water, shoreline vegetation,
and mixed pixels can affect retrievals. Use a low-cloud Sentinel-2 scene and compare the index
layer with true color before interpreting potential HAB conditions.