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Bates Professor Is Part Of Grant To Study Toxic Algal Blooms

Patty Wight
/
Maine Public

Bates and Colby colleges are part of four-year, nearly $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study harmful algal blooms in lakes caused by cyanobacteria.

Bates professor Holly Ewing is among the team of scientists from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and South Carolina who will develop technology — including autonomous robots — to help predict the blooms.

Holly Ewing will collaborate with scientists in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and South Carolina to develop technology, including autonomous robots, to help predict the blooms.

"One of the objectives of the grant is to be able to collect these data and analyze them in close to real time."

Ewing says harmful algal blooms can develop quickly, and they pose health risks to people and pets. Ewing says the grant will help scientists to better understand when and why the blooms become toxic.

"That would allow us to see the spread of a bloom, and predict the spread of a bloom, or forecast the way a bloom might happen."

Several dogs in southern states died this summer after swimming in water tainted with toxic algae.

Originally pubished Oct. 27, 2019 at 6:00 a.m. ET.