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Florida Polytechnic University students are taking on one of Florida’s most stubborn water problems: the excess nutrients that fuel harmful algae blooms.
A new research project at Lakeland’s Se7en Wetlands is testing whether a floating biochar-based system can remove phosphorus and nitrogen from the water before they feed murky green blooms that block sunlight from reaching underwater plants and throw entire ecosystems out of balance.
The two-year project is led by Florida Poly civil and environmental engineering professor Yudi Wu and backed by a $300,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
A complex water-quality puzzle
Florida Poly’s project is aimed at Se7en Wetlands, the sprawling constructed wetland south of Lakeland that filters millions of gallons of treated wastewater each day before it flows west toward Tampa Bay.
Built on the site of a former phosphate mine, Se7en Wetlands has its own chemistry. Wu said the site’s history leaves it with a different nutrient profile than many local lakes, with more phosphorus to remove and a more complex water-quality puzzle to solve.
| Wikimedia
How it works
Wu’s team is building a floating treatment system designed to remove the nutrients algae need to thrive.
The idea is simple: starve the bloom before it starts.
The system uses floating columns, each about three to five feet long, filled with limestone and a biochar-based composite. Biochar is a charcoal-like material engineered to absorb phosphorus; limestone helps create conditions that convert nitrogen into gas and release it safely from the water.
If it works as planned, the system could reduce the nutrient load before algae has a chance to take off.
Wu’s team will monitor and track water quality over time to see how well the system performs and whether it could be scaled elsewhere in Florida.
Students in the field
The project also gives students something Florida Poly prides itself on: hands-on work with real-world stakes.
Two undergraduate students are already working with Wu on the project, including freshman civil engineering major Atticus Blake.
“The wetlands are such an interesting ecosystem to work with, so I was really interested in doing research in that field,” Blake said.
Blake said he knows it’s unusual for a freshman to land a role on a state-funded environmental research project. That’s part of what drew him to it.
“I’m excited to be part of Dr. Wu’s work throughout my undergrad years,” he said. “I want to build a strong bond and understanding of her research and related areas.”
Wu said that kind of early experience is one of the project’s biggest benefits.
“When they look back, I want them to see that this was helpful in boosting their career or professional development,” she said. “I feel proud to see them grow from these research projects and become professionals in this field.”
The Se7en Wetlands research is not Florida Poly’s only project tied to water. In March, another research team announced a project aimed at a growing environmental concern — a new tool designed to detect microplastics in water more quickly.
Lakeland’s growing algae cleanup toolbox
Florida Poly’s Se7en Wetlands project joins a growing list of local experiments aimed at improving water quality, each using a different tool:
- Lakes Morton, Mirror and Hollingsworth: The city approved a $2.3 million cleanup effort using alum treatment, which binds phosphorus and locks it into sediment so algae can’t use it as easily.
- Lake Bonnet: Another pilot is testing whether harvested algae can be converted into sustainable jet fuel, turning a recurring nuisance into a potential energy source.
- Crystal Lake: The city is testing a bentonite clay treatment designed to capture excess phosphorus and drag it down to the lake bottom, reducing sediment disturbance and improving water clarity.
- Lake Parker: Commissioners approved a restoration plan built around wetland restoration, shoreline stabilization, and native plantings to improve water quality by rebuilding the lake’s natural filtration system.
- Lake Hunter: One of Lakeland’s most impaired lakes has long been a candidate for restoration through a mix of dredging, aeration, and nutrient reduction.
To see more restoration projects, visit the state’s Water Quality Status Dashboard — the result of a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Health.
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