Marimo for monitoring and filtering of aquatic environments
Neil Phillips, Thomas C. Draper, Andrew P. Geary, Kathryn Lamb-Riddell, Darren M. Reynolds, Joshua A. C Steven, Freya Radford, Abdul R. Farooq, Andrew Adamatzky
TL;DR
Marimo, a type of algae, can capture particles and microorganisms in water, offering a sustainable way to monitor and filter aquatic environments.
Contribution
A novel non-destructive method for extracting and analyzing materials trapped in Marimo is introduced.
Findings
Marimo can capture microplastics, sediments, and indicator species from water.
A prototype filtration system using Marimo reduced microbial contaminants in recirculating water.
Marimo offers a low-cost, eco-friendly solution for water monitoring and remediation.
Abstract
Aegagropila linnaei (commonly known as “Marimo”) forms dense spheres of intertwined algae filaments capable of capturing and retaining a wide range of particles and microorganisms (up to 2 mm in length) from freshwater environments. This study explores the potential of Marimo as a sustainable tool for environmental monitoring and water filtration. We present a novel, non-destructive method for extracting entrapped materials (including microplastics, sediments, and indicator species) and evaluate various analytical techniques for characterising the extracted content. A prototype Marimo-based filtration system was developed, demonstrating significant reductions in microbial contaminants within a recirculating water system. These findings highlight the advantages of using Marimo as a low-cost, eco-friendly solution for long-term aquatic ecosystem monitoring and remediation. The online…
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Taxonomy
TopicsMicroplastics and Plastic Pollution · Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry · Diatoms and Algae Research