Local company removes algae from water to make bioplastics

Several beaches along the Mississippi coast are closed because of algae blooms that could potentially cause harm to those who come in contact with the water.

Ryan Hunt is the co-founder of Algix, a company operating locally that separates algae and contaminants from water. He says algae blooms can take several months to clear.

“We’re getting a lot of nutrient runoff and water that’s being deposited in the rivers and ending up in the ocean," Hunt said. "That’s leading to increases in conditions that have algae blooms.”

Hunt’s technology has sparked the attention of a large contractor that works with different government agencies.

“They’ve reached out to the Mississippi government to see if there’s interest to use these technologies to clean algae out of these areas that are currently experiencing algae blooms," Hunt said.

Hunt says although algae can be very harmful to the environment and those who come into contact with it, he takes pride in being able to separate it from contaminated water to use it for good.

“We clean water and we use the algae that we produce to produce bio plastics here in Meridian," Hunt said.

Algix has worked to clear algae in several areas, including California and Mexico.