Set your place
Pan and zoom to a reach, pond, or waterbody. Use the search tool in Copernicus Browser to locate a named place along the Wallkill, Bashakill, or Neversink.
WaterInsight · Remote Sensing
HAB Remote-Sensing Workspace
NYenvironcom — the Mid-New York Environmental and Sustainability Committee — screens possible cyanobacteria (HAB) conditions across the Wallkill River and Mid-Hudson region with Sentinel-2 imagery. Inspect the live scene, copy an evalscript, and always confirm against field observations and WaterInsight station data before reporting to NYSDEC.
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 and NYenvironcom WaterInsight station data.
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.
Scene availability varies by date and cloud conditions
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 (or use the embedded viewer).
- Choose a Sentinel-2 scene with low cloud cover.
- Open Visualization, then Custom Script.
- Paste the selected evalscript and choose Apply.
- Compare the result with true color and, when possible, WaterInsight station readings.
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.
About the HAB Remote-Sensing Workspace
This page supports satellite-based screening of possible cyanobacteria and harmful algal bloom conditions using Sentinel-2 imagery and the Copernicus Browser workflow retained from the original material.
Workspace components
- Instructions for choosing a location and low-cloud satellite scene
- True-color review before applying an indicator
- HAB-oriented visualization scripts for Copernicus Browser
- Field-confirmation guidance
- A direct pathway to official New York HAB information
Recommended review sequence
- Navigate to the waterbody or river reach of interest.
- Select a clear Sentinel-2 scene and document its date and cloud conditions.
- Review true color before applying an indicator script.
- Compare the result with WaterInsight observations and other field evidence.
- Use the official reporting pathway for suspected blooms.
Purpose: Satellite output is a screening aid. The page itself directs users to compare imagery with field evidence and official New York reporting resources rather than treating a visualization as a confirmed bloom determination.