Scientists from the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University, and the University of Akron are splitting another $2.08 million in state higher education grants announced Thursday for harmful algal bloom research.
Information about each project can be found on the Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory website.
Major grants have been awarded annually since the 2014 water crisis in which nearly 500,000 Toledo-area residents were told to stay away from their tap water for nearly three days because of an algal toxin from western Lake Erie, called microcystin, that had gotten past normal treatment processes and into the city’s distribution system.
UT was notified it will get $613,436 to lead four projects which range from studying the risk of inhaling microcystin particles or coming in contact with them through wet beach sand, to the potential use of naturally occurring Lake Erie bacteria to break down the toxin.
Randy Gardner, a longtime Ohio legislator and Republican from Wood County who now serves as Ohio Department of Higher Education chancellor, said the state has “a responsibility to preserve and protect” Lake Erie.
Tom Bridgeman, UT Lake Erie Center director, said the grants are important because northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan are “likely to be living with harmful algal blooms for many years to come,” even under a best-case scenario.
The university research complements efforts by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, officials said.
Some $9.1 million was made available through the state higher education department in 2015, and designated for five rounds of harmful algal bloom projects. Matching funding from participating Ohio universities has increased the total investment to almost $19.5 million for more than 60 projects since the program began.
The program is overseen by OSU and UT, with Ohio Sea Grant coordinating proposals and managing the projects.
Ohio Sea Grant is part of NOAA Sea Grant, a nationwide network of programs from 34 states with major shorelines. All fall under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s umbrella. For more information, visit ohioseagrant.osu.edu.
First Published May 14, 2020, 9:08 p.m.
