Grants available to develop technology to prevent harmful algal blooms

Grants available to develop technology to prevent harmful algal blooms

May 20, 2016

For more information please contact:
Gary Kohlhepp, 517-284-5540, kohlheppg@michigan.gov 

The DEQ is offering $250,000 in grants to assist in the development of technology to combat harmful algal blooms.

The grant is part of the DEQ’s initiative to better understand and prevent harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin and other bodies of water. Harmful algal blooms are distinct from other blooms in that they produce cyanotoxins, which disrupt the ecosystem and can negatively impact drinking water. While many of the factors involved in starting a bloom are well known, how they interact and what causes a bloom to begin to produce cyanotoxins is not thoroughly understood.

To develop a deeper understanding of how harmful blooms develop and how to prevent them, the DEQ will prioritize projects that use remote sensing data to assess the presence of cyanotoxins, enhance understanding of the triggers behind cyanotoxin production, develop better cyanotoxin sampling methods, and improve rapid screening methods for cyanotoxins.

The grants are part of a larger regional effort to prevent blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Michigan last year entered a collaborative agreement with Ohio and Ontario to reduce phosphorus inputs to the Western Lake Erie Basin by 40 percent by 2025.

Local government, academic institutions and nonprofit entities are eligible for funding. Proposals are due June 17.

For more information, read the request for proposals at www.michigan.gov/waterquality or contact Gary Kohlhepp, DEQ’s Water Resources Division, at 517-284-5540 or kohlheppg@michigan.gov.

The DEQ is dedicated to respect for Michigan’s citizens, stewardship of the environment, and support for a sustainable economy.

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