Robots and AI to support research on harmful blue-green algae

A team of scientists from research centers stretching from Maine to South Carolina will combine big data, artificial intelligence and robotics with new and time-tested techniques for lake sampling to understand where, when, and how cyanobacterial blooms form in lakes across the East Coast in a 4-year project supported by NSF ($3 million, renewable to $5.9 M).

The research team brings together experts in freshwater ecology, computer science, engineering and geospatial science from Bates College, Colby College, Dartmouth, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Rhode Island and the University of South Carolina.

At Dartmouth, from Computer Science, Alberto Quattrini Li is the principal investigator for the project, Devin Balkcom and VS Subrahmanian are senior personnel, as well as Kathy Cottingham from Biological Sciences and David Lutz from Environmental studies.

Read the full press release here.