Assessing the potential of Sentinel-2 data for tracking invasive water hyacinth in a river branch

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has become a threat to many aquatic environments worldwide. This weed presents rapid reproductive capacity and outcompetes other plant species, forming dense, free-floating mats, which in instances completely cover fresh-water surfaces. The infestation leads several serious environmental (including ecological socioeconomic) impacts that are hazardous systems, disables human uses of surface waters, affects hydraulic infrastructures (e.g., waterways pumping stations). Our study explores the use remote sensing tools monitor categorize spread water hyacinth, aiming at new insights into detection, observation, mapping this invasive using vegetation indices calculated from multispectral data satellite Sentinel-2, such as normalized difference index index. approach spatiotemporal information potential contribute inform planners decision-makers concerned with managing by applying integrated measures. case deals small course located downstream part Mondego river valley Portugal, country where is widely constitutes major problem, mainly irrigated agricultural areas Tagus, Sado, Mondego, Lis rivers’ basins.