Dr Mark Matthews, CyanoLakes Pty Ltd

Presentation: The CyanoLakes online monitoring and mapping service for cyanobacteria blooms and water pollution

Dr. Mark Matthews specialised in bio-optical remote sensing of cyanobacteria blooms and their detection from space. He graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2014 with a thesis entitled “distinguishing cyanobacteria from algae using bio-optical remote sensing”. He has published several papers in internationally recognised journals in the field, and is the author of the chapter on bio-optical modelling of chlorophyll-a in the textbook “Bio-optical modelling and remote sensing of inland waters”. Since graduating he has led several projects funded by the Water Research Commission in South Africa and the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme. He founded CyanoLakes (Pty) Ltd in 2015 after winning the Copernicus Masters Ideas Challenge for best business idea for earth observation data. As the director of CyanoLakes (Pty) Ltd he is passionate about bringing the benefits of earth observation innovations to governmental water and health authorities, utilities and industry around the world through CyanoLakes’s online public health information service offering.

Follow on Twitter @CyanoLakes.

Prof Sandra M. F. O. Azevedo, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Presentation: Toxic cyanobacteria: an example of  interrelation between environment and health

Prof Azevedo is a lead researcher on Brazil's tragic Caruaru incident, which resulted in the death of 50 people after intoxication by cyanotoxin. She is a Professor at the Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and is well known for her world-leading research encompassing many aspects of cyanobacteria.

Currently, Prof Azevedo's research interests lie in environmental impacts of eutrophication in reservoirs; ecotoxicological studies with toxic cyanobacteria in water supplies; and health aspects of cyanobacterial toxins and water quality issues.