Grounded in the principles of ecological engineering of energy signature and self-organization,
our research focuses on optimizing filamentous algae (FA) systems for nutrient recovery from
wastewater through enhanced areal productivity. Through various studies, we examined how
substratum surface complexity interacts with nutrient availability to shape algal growth and
species composition in algal communities. These ecological design approaches revealed that
tailored substratum features can significantly improve biomass yield, nutrient removal efficiency,
and algal community response, improving technologies for applications of closed cycles and
resource recovery and highlighting the ecological engineering approach for ecotechnologies that
are both biologically responsive and environmentally sustainable.
The SpeakerDavid Blersch (Ph.D) is associate professor of ecological
engineering in the Biosystems Engineering Department at
Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama, USA). He has worked in
ecological engineering topics and research for 20 years,
focusing on aquatic ecology, water quality, and resource
recovery in human-impacted aquatic systems and
wastewater.
He is past president of the American Ecological Engineering
Society, where he remains involved in work on defining
ecological engineering criteria for education, professional
certification, and programmatic development.