Latest Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative Projects Address Algal Bloom Impacts On Ohio

Ohio Sea Grant, on behalf of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) and in partnership with The Ohio State University and The University of Toledo, has identified the 2024 and 2025 research award winners for the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI), which seeks solutions for harmful algal blooms in Ohio.

Since 2015, ODHE’s HABRI has engaged 15 universities across the state through 97 awards to address critical algal bloom knowledge gaps identified by front-line state agencies that include the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission.

See the listing of the fiscal year 2024 and 2025 award winning research projects and institutions.

HABRI has made $24M available since 2015. Matching funding from participating Ohio universities increases the total investment to more than $37M, demonstrating the state’s overall commitment to addressing the harmful algal bloom issue.

“Governor DeWine’s leadership through the H₂Ohio program provides real promise in our efforts to address water quality issues,” said ODHE Chancellor Mike Duffey. “I’m pleased that Ohio’s colleges and universities continue to conduct research to inform H₂Ohio efforts and play a vital role in finding solutions to pressing Lake Erie issues. The Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative has been a collaborative problem-solving effort that uses our higher education assets to inform management decisions and to improve the quality of life for all Ohioans.”

HABRI has included expert research teams from Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Defiance College, Heidelberg University, Kent State University, Sinclair Community College, The University of Akron, the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Northwestern Ohio, Wright State University, Oberlin College, and consortium leaders The University of Toledo and The Ohio State University.

Information about HABRI projects, as well as partner organizations and background on the initiative, is also available on the HABRI page of the Ohio Sea Grant website. Download the most recent annual report.

Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nationwide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of the CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.