WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | EcoTrack 11: Scientists take technology to the sky to battle Lake Erie algae
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By Chris Vickers - email | bio
Posted by Kate Oatis - email
TOLEDO (WTOL) - In order to monitor the growing algae problem on Lake Erie, a group of scientists are taking to the sky with high flying technology.
In fact, algae in Lake Erie is a growing problem. Dr. Tom Bridgeman, University of Toledo professor of ecology, has been studying invasive algae for years and is now using state-of-the-art technology to battle this environmental hazard.
"It's an economic problem and a safety problem. Some of this algae that is growing out there is toxic and you don't want those toxins to get in the water supply, Bridgeman said.
Gathering data on algae by boat can be difficult on such a large lake.
"I can only take little spot measurements of western Lake Erie which is hundreds of square kilometers so I can only take these tiny measurements. What I need is an eye in the sky."
That eye is called the aerostat. Doug Miller, vice president of SkySentry, says this technology will play an integral part in tracking the algae blooms hovering 1,000 ft. above the lake.
"The aerostat gives you a pinpointed reference 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
It's equipped with high tech cameras used to identify the different types of algae.
"What we are trying to see is if the remote sensing capabilities are useful to us as lake scientists to help us in our quest to get rid of the harmful algae in western Lake Erie," Bridgeman said.
The ultimate goal will be to map the algae across Lake Erie, which Bridgeman hopes will answer some though questions about the algae -- and lead to a solution to the problem.
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