The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) has awarded $5 million in funding for 17 research projects from seven Ohio universities in its 2024 and 2025 ongoing Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative. HABRI is a statewide response to the threat of harmful algal blooms created in the aftermath of the 2014 Toledo water crisis.

The selected projects will provide strategies and tools to evaluate or mitigate HABs; research assistance to guide wetland restoration projects to reduce nutrient and sediments; research on agricultural drainage practices and nutrient application methods, evaluation of climate change effects on nutrient runoff; evaluation of treatment technologies for water treatment systems and aid the efforts of state agencies such as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Lake Erie Commission, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Researchers will lead the following newly funded two-year projects:

Drainage Water Recycling – Potential Impact and Feasibility in the Western Lake Erie Basin

PI Vinayak Shedekar, The Ohio State University

Diagnostic Test Development for Detection and Monitoring of Cyanotoxins in Human and Veterinary Applications

PI David Kennedy, The University of Toledo

Use of High-Resolution Data Sets to Locate Sites for Restoration and Installation of Nutrient Interceptors in the Maumee Watershed

PI Kevin Czajkowski, The University of Toledo

Monitoring and Modeling of Tappan Lake for Harmful Algal Bloom Reduction Initiatives

PI Suresh Sharma, Youngstown State University

Show Me the Data: Visualizing Water Quality Trends in the Lake Erie Watershed

PI Laura Johnson, Heidelberg University

Aging as a Primary Risk Factor for Increased Susceptibility to Aerosolized Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins and Toxic Microplastics

PI Steven Haller, The University of Toledo

Quantifying Cropland Water-Carbon-Nutrient Coupling Under Drainage Water Management for Climate-Resilient Production

PI Yanlan Liu, The Ohio State University

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Cyanotoxins on Human Health: A Review

PI Stuart A. Ludsin, The Ohio State University

Assessing Ohio Wetland Plants for Nutrient Capture to Guide Construction and Management

PI Helen Michaels, Bowling Green State University

Characterization and Screening of Aerosolized Anatoxin-a, Guanitoxin, Cylindrospermopsins, and Saxitoxins in Vulnerable Populations

PI Steven Haller, The University of Toledo

A Multi-Scale Assessment of Cyanotoxin Treatment by Granular Activated Carbon to Enhance Removal in Systems with Co-Occurring Emerging Contaminants

PI John Lenhart, The Ohio State University

Utilizing Data-Driven Predictive Models for Assessing Climate Change Effects on Nutrient Runoff in Ohio’s Inland Lakes

PI Huichun Zhang, Case Western Reserve University

Tracking Stream Channel Migration and Extent of Stream Bank Erosion in Ohio’s Watersheds

PI Asmita Murumkar, The Ohio State University

Enhancing Ecosystem Models to Guide Selection and Placement of Wetlands in the Western Lake Erie Basin

PI Joel Paulson, The Ohio State University

Watershed Monitoring to Determine Nutrient Load Allocations from Urban Areas to Inform Recommendations for Nutrient Control through Strategic Best Management Practice Implementation

PI Ryan Winston, The Ohio State University

Assessment of Stormwater Retention Basins constructed at the University of Northwestern Ohio

PI David Zuwerink, University of Northwestern Ohio

Geophysical Mapping of Sub-Bottom Sediments, Groundwater Discharge Zones, and Bathymetry of Inundated Coastal Wetlands and Shallow Lakes

PI Kennedy Doro, The University of Toledo