Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by lake eutrophication and climate change have become one of the most serious problems for the global water environment. Timely and comprehensive data on HABs are essential for their scientific management, a need unmet by traditional methods. This study constructed a novel digital twin lake framework (DTLF) aiming to integrate, represent and analyze multi-source monitoring data on HABs and water quality, so as to support the prevention and control of HABs. In this framework, different from traditional research, browser-based front ends were used to execute the video-based HAB monitoring process, and real-time monitoring in the real sense was realized. On this basis, multi-source monitored results of HABs and water quality were integrated and displayed in the constructed DTLF, and information on HABs and water quality can be grasped comprehensively, visualized realistically and analyzed precisely. Experimental results demonstrate the satisfying frequency of video-based HAB monitoring (once per second) and the valuable results of multi-source data integration and analysis for HAB management. This study demonstrated the high value of the constructed DTLF in accurate monitoring and scientific management of HABs in lakes.

Oblique photography technology based on UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) provides an effective means for the rapid, real-scene 3D reconstruction of geographical objects on a watershed scale. However, existing research cannot achieve the automatic and high-precision reconstruction of water regions due to the sensitivity of water surface patterns to wind and waves, reflections of objects on the shore, etc. To solve this problem, a novel rapid reconstruction scheme for water regions in 3D models of oblique photography is proposed in this paper. It extracts the boundaries of water regions firstly using a designed eight-neighborhood traversal algorithm, and then reconstructs the triangulated irregular network (TIN) of water regions. Afterwards, the corresponding texture images of water regions are intelligently selected and processed using a designed method based on coordinate matching, image stitching and clipping. Finally, the processed texture images are mapped to the obtained TIN, and the real information about water regions can be reconstructed, visualized and integrated into the original real-scene 3D environment. Experimental results have shown that the proposed scheme can rapidly and accurately reconstruct water regions in 3D models of oblique photography. The outcome of this work can refine the current technical system of 3D modeling by UAV oblique photography and expand its application in the construction of twin watershed, twin city, etc.