The Winnebago Waterways program of the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has partnered with BloomOptix, Ramboll, and Opseyes to help develop a technology to identify blue green algae blooms more quickly.
The BloomOptix, Ramboll, Opseyes team had previously developed a technology to identify harmful bacteria in wastewater treatment plants. This technology has helped in alerting treatment plants very early on when unwanted bacteria is present, allowing them to speed up their response time.
The team now hopes to use this same technology to more quickly identify harmful algae blooms. Proper identification of the algae can lead to less beach closures when the bloom is nontoxic and a more rapid response of closures when the bloom is toxic.
While excited may not be the right word, the Winnebago Waterways are excited that the lakes are being recognized for their harmful algae blooms and how our problem can lead to important technology being developed.
Due to the size of the system, we are looking for your help!
We can’t be everywhere at once and we know that algae blooms pop up around the system. We are looking for volunteers to grab a sample off their pier when a bloom pops up!
We are looking to start collecting samples in early August through the end of September or early October.
Water samples can be collected in any type of container and can be dropped off at the Fox-Wolf office – 526 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 2E, Appleton, WI, 54911 – on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 am until 3 pm.
We will create slides with the algae samples brought in, take pictures of them, and then send them off to our partners. These images will be used to teach the artificial intelligence to recognize cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
The goal is to teach the AI to identify harmful algae blooms in 10 minutes, rather than 1-2 days. These process will aid in less beach closures and better education on algae blooms.
If you are interested in collecting samples, we want to offer a few reminders. Blue green algae can be dangerous for us and our animals. If you would like to participate, we ask that you take precautions to protect yourself from potentially harmful algae blooms. This includes wearing gloves and potentially a mask and waders. While our harmful blooms are not typically dermal (skin) reactive they can be harmful through aerosol dispersal – hence the mask.
If you have questions or want to participate, please contact Emily Henrigillis – emily@fwwa.org or 920-851-6472
