The Bureau has been working in cooperation with the NJ Forest Fire Service, Rutgers University, and USEPA Region 2 to implement aircraft remote sensing for estimating chlorophyll levels in NJ's coastal waters. Since chlorophyll is a plant pigment, high levels of chlorophyll in the water are typically associated with an algal bloom. The plane flies 6 times a week, weather depending, over the coastal waters New Jersey. This provides a valuable perspective on water conditions and trends and enables the Bureau to target boat sampling to locations where algal blooms might be occuring.