Annual algal bloom conference recaps current knowledge, unites different fields of study

TOLEDO, Ohio — Several groups came together to learn more about how to keep Lake Erie clean and free of algae on Thursday at the "Understanding Algal Blooms: State of the Science Conference" in the Stranahan Theater Great Hall.

Researchers, agriculture leaders and community members came together to learn more about algal blooms, their causes and how to prevent them.

"The issue is not the fact that we don't have the best management practices that we know work, it's not everyone works on every field," said Chris Winslow, director of the Ohio Sea Grant program at The Ohio State University. "It's really kind of fine-tuning what each producer might want to adopt and also what abilities and resources they have to adopt those."

"My students are working on a project to help put back into the soil the products that have come down stream," said Jackie Kane, a science teacher at St. Ursula Academy. "Hopefully we've got some good data working with some professors at the local universities."

2019 is the fourth year for the event. Organizers say they plan to continue holding it each year in the second week of September.