NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Blog

The latest news and information about NOAA research in and around the Great Lakes

Freshwater SHARC: new HAB monitoring technology to be deployed in Saginaw Bay

June 11, 2026 by GLERL Communications Team

This summer, Saginaw Bay is getting a high-tech visitor! The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is deploying a SeaTrac uncrewed surface vessel from July 29th to September 4th as part of the SHARC (Surface Harmful Algal Research Craft) project. SHARC is a cutting-edge effort to monitor and understand Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. GLERL is partnering with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to take water quality monitoring in the Great Lakes to the next level to help keep our coastal communities safe.

Nautical chart of Saginaw Bay showing yellow hashed areas where SeaTrac will be working
You may see the SeaTrac out working in the yellow hashed areas this summer on Saginaw Bay.

Samples from the Water Surface

This summer, to carry our science payload into the shallowest parts of the bay we are using a SeaTrac Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV). The SeaTrac ASV is a solar-powered, highly maneuverable surface craft designed specifically for coastal environments.

With a draft of only about 1.5 feet, it can access shallow nearshore areas that traditional research vessels simply can’t reach and areas where human-HAB interaction may be highest. Its bright yellow body, solar panels, and orange flag should make it instantly recognizable and easy to spot out on the water. This low-profile vessel measures just under 16 feet, slightly longer than a typical fishing dinghy, with a freeboard height of only 8.4 inches, and a mast height of 4 feet. Solar-powered batteries allow it to stay out on the lake for weeks at a time, providing continuous reporting back to our team in Ann Arbor.

A close-up, side-profile photograph shows the bright yellow SeaTrac Autonomous Surface Vessel floating in calm water.
The bright yellow SeaTrac Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV), the core of the Freshwater SHARC project, is shown here underway in Lake Erie in 2024. This solar-powered craft is collecting water samples to monitor and understand harmful algal blooms in near-real-time to help keep the Great Lakes safe.

The Science of Harmful Algal Blooms

The primary goal of the SHARC project is to track and analyze HABs in Saginaw Bay in near-real-time. Saginaw Bay is a shallow, bloom-prone embayment where wind and currents can quickly shift the location of toxic algae. While GLERL has monitored these waters since 2010, the SHARC project will track harmful algal blooms as they occur this summer.

The “brain” of this mission is MBARI’s third-generation environmental sample processor (3G ESP). Integrated directly into the surface vessel, the 3G ESP automatically collects water samples and uses Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) to analyze them for toxins such as microcystins while still out on the water. It also preserves samples for later “omics” analysis, giving us a molecular-level look at the algal community and its genetic potential for toxicity that can affect drinking water quality. The SHARC system allows us to provide timely, actionable data to water managers and the public.

During the mission, SHARC will serve as a flexible, event-response platform. If a heat wave, passing weather front, strong winds, satellite imagery, or reports from people on the water suggest a bloom may be forming or moving to a new area, scientists can send SHARC to areas of concern to test the water directly. By pairing real-time toxin measurements with samples saved for later laboratory analysis, SHARC will help identify where blooms are occurring, how toxic they are, and what is causing them. and how they are changing over time. These observations will help scientists better understand HABs in Saginaw Bay and support informed decision-making for those who rely on its waters.

A map that displays the NOAA GLERL harmful algal bloom monitoring sites on Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron.
NOAA GLERL harmful algal bloom monitoring sites on Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron.

Images from the Sky

The SeaTrac ASV is not the only technology at use in the SHARC project. To find the best sampling spots, we’re using an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS)—a hexacopter drone equipped with a specialized hyperspectral imager. The hyperspectral camera detects the unique light signature of cyanobacteria, identifying “hotspots” of high HAB biomass. Flying at altitudes below 400 feet, the imager provides high-resolution “eyes in the sky” that can see below the clouds that often block satellite views. The imagery also fills in the gaps nearshore, where shallow waters can disrupt satellite data due to low image resolution or light reflections from the lake floor. Scientists then use this data to help direct the ASV to the hot spots to determine if they contain the harmful algal bloom toxin.

While the hyperspectral data can identify the presence and extent of a bloom, it can not determine toxin levels. The water must then be sampled in order to determine the toxin level, and that is when the SeaTrac ASV moves in.

Two field researchers wearing white hard hats and reflective orange safety vests stand outdoors in front of a large black hexacopter drone resting in the center of a circular red and black landing pad.
The SHARC project’s hexacopter drone is preparing for a survey flight to locate toxic blooms in the shallow waters of Saginaw Bay.
An aerial photograph taken from a Cessna 210 airplane window looks down at light-colored turquoise and green swirls of a harmful algal bloom spreading across the blue water.
View from Cessna 210 window during crewed flight of a 2022 Saginaw Bay harmful algal bloom indicated by the areas of light-colored swirls spreading across the water.
A data visualization graphic displays NOAA GLERL hyperspectral imagery tracks mapping cyanobacteria levels over Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron.
In September 2021, a crewed Cessna 210 conducted a hyperspectral flight over Saginaw Bay’s drinking water intakes to map HAB blooms. The images from the flights are shown in the composite graphic here.

Setting Sail this July

Deployment of the SeaTrac ASV will operate out of Sebewaing, MI, with the craft conducting both underway sampling and holding location near a target station in locations as far northeast as Caseville, MI. 

As we set sail this July, we’re looking forward to the insights this mission will bring to help monitor local water quality, keep boaters and beachgoers safe from toxins, and protect our beloved Great Lakes. If you’re out on Saginaw Bay this summer and spot the SeaTrac vessel in action, be sure to snap a photo from a safe distance of 200 feet or more and share it with us! We love seeing our research through the eyes of the community. Tag your posts with #freshwaterSHARC to join the conversation as we work to keep our waters safe for everyone.

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