Algal blooms, which occur when algae overgrow in bodies of water, can not only turn the water green but also kill fish and contaminate the water supply of nearby communities. Laguna Lake, one of Metro Manila’s major sources of bangus and tilapia, as well as drinking water, is particularly prone to algal blooms, especially during El Niño. A standard method for monitoring the algal population in water is to measure chlorophyll-a, the green pigment produced by algae. However, “If we wait for [the instruments] to indicate high algal content, it may already be too late since the bloom may have already occurred,” explains author Dr. Karl Ezra Pilario of the UPD Department of Chemical Engineering.

Sapigao, H. (2025, January 27). UPD experts determine the optimal model for predicting algal blooms. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. C3.