USF engineers are leading the way in Florida with a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a new, state-of-the-art system that will help water districts better predict and manage harmful algal blooms. They will focus on the areas of Lake Okeechobee, St. Lucie River, and Caloosahatchee River watersheds. Led by Mauricio Arias, the team will take a multidisciplinary approach to address the negative environmental, health and economic effects of algae blooms.
Harmful algae blooms in Florida
These blooms occur when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells. These cells then discolor water and often develop floating mats that produce unpleasant odors. Not only are they unpleasant to look at, they may also negatively impact fish, birds and other wildlife.
“Harmful algae blooms cause many negative environmental, health and economic effects throughout the state,” said principal investigator Mauricio Arias. He’s the assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. “This three-year grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supports the development of new state-of-the-art water quality data and models to better predict and manage harmful algae blooms in this vitally important and environmentally sensitive ecosystem.”
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“The goals of this project are to generate actionable knowledge and develop a tool that will allow managers to better predict and manage harmful algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River watersheds,” said Wendy Graham. She’s the director of the University of Florida Water Institute.
Hopefully, the interdisciplinary team will advance the knowledge and tools surrounding these algae blooms. This will then lead to continuing a future of cleaner waters throughout the state.
