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 days a week during the summer months, in favorable weather conditions, over the coastal waters of New Jersey. These flights provide a valuable perspective on water conditions and trends and enable the Bureau to target boat sampling to locations where algal blooms might be occurring.