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Chesapeake Water Watch – Volunteers training NASA satellites to monitor water quality

Blue text reads Chesapeake Water Watch down the middle of a square graphic; icons on the left of the text include a mobile device, a water guage and a satellite; on the right is a colorful satellite image of Chesapeake Bay
Near the Chesapeake Bay? Join Chesapeake Water Watch and help scientists monitor its health! (Credit: Shelby Brown)

Chesapeake Bay locals are helping take care of the Bay using their smartphones! Climate disruption and other human disturbances are affecting our coastal waters. The Chesapeake Water Watch project asks volunteers in Maryland, Virginia, and other nearby states to monitor these effects using HydroColor, a free smartphone app, and by taking water samples.

The HydroColor app derives water clarity estimates from pictures of a gray card, the sky, and the water. Combining these readings with actual water samples paints a detailed picture of water conditions in the Bay. The Chesapeake Water Watch science team cross-references this detailed picture with satellite data—and uses it to train satellites to read Chesapeake Bay conditions themselves.

The Chesapeake Water Watch will not only help us monitor the health of the Chesapeake Bay but also lead to better tools for monitoring coastal waters around the world! Find out how to get involved with this new project at serc.si.edu.

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Last Updated
Mar 13, 2023
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NASA Science Editorial Team

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