Cyanobacteria detected using satellite imagery in Quebec Lakes

The city of Quebec and Groupe Hémisphères have reached an agreement to test a new technology which aims to detect the concentration and distribution of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in real time using satellite imagery in the Lake Saint Charles and the other lakes within the same watershed.

This project, which was completed as part of Quebec’s technology showcase [Vitrine Technologique] program, is scheduled to last 30 months. The result will be a better understanding of water bodies as well as the behaviour of algal blooms, and, therefore, improved water quality management.

Christian Corbeil, Groupe Hémisphères’ president, considers that this new technology, which was developed in 2017, could replace traditional sampling methods, which are more expensive. Groupe Hémisphères is the only firm that can do this type of detection with this level of precision.

For more details, consult the article by Ian Bussières in Le Soleil : Les cyanobactéries détectées par satellite dans les lacs de Québec