Are more data always better? – Machine learning forecasting of algae based on long-term observations

Abstract

Bloom-forming algae present a unique challenge to water managers as they can significantly impair provision of important ecosystem services and cause health risks to humans and animals. Consequently, effective short-term algae forecasts are important as they provide early warnings and enable implementation of mitigation strategies. In this context, machine learning (ML) emerges as a promising forecasting tool. However, the performance of ML models is heavily dependent on the availability of appropriate training data. Consequently, it is essential to determine the volume of data necessary to develop reliable ML forecasts. Understanding this will guide future monitoring strategies, optimize resource allocation, and set realistic expectations for management outcomes. In this study, we used 30 years of fortnightly measurements of 13 different parameters from a lake in the English Lake District (UK) to examine the impact of training data duration on the performance of ML models for forecasting chlorophyll-a two weeks in advance. Once training data availability exceeded four years, a Random Forest model was found to consistently outperform naive benchmarks (mean absolute percentage error 16.4 % lower than the best-performing benchmark). With more than 5 years of training data, model performance generally continued to improve, but with diminishing returns. Furthermore, it was found that equivalent and, in some cases, better performance could be achieved by only using a subset of the most important input features. Additionally, it was found that reducing the sampling frequency had negative impacts on performance, both due to the reduced number of training observations available, and increased forecast horizon. Our findings demonstrate that for lakes ecologically similar to the study site, a consistent and regular sampling programme focused on monitoring a limited number of key parameters can provide sufficient observations for generating short-term algae forecasts after approximately five years of data collection. Importantly, this result provides justification for the initiation of new monitoring programmes for sites where algal blooms are a concern, and suggests that there are likely many pre-existing monitoring datasets which would be suitable for training algae forecast models.