TOLEDO, OHIO -- Algae is often considered to be unwanted residue found at the bottom of rivers, lakes, and ponds. However, there might be much more value to this material than you think.
One local not-for-profit organization finds itself in the middle of a new research project, looking at ways how some simple seaweed could reduce our carbon footprint. The Center for Innovative Food Technology, or CIFT, installed the $100 thousand dollar photo-bioreactor several months ago at the Port of Toledo. This is where the collected algae from Lake Erie can be harvested and possibly converted to biofuels.
Those with this project say the east Toledo location is the perfect place for all this activity since there's abundant nutrient supply nearby for this organism, including carbon dioxide released at power plants and water from treatment plants. Also the Maumee River can be a huge source for algae fertilizer.
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