Fighting algae with algae

An Indian company NUALGI NANOBIOTECH makes the product “Nualgi” to solve a wide range of problems:
* to boost the growth of prawns and fishes in aquaculture ponds
* to treat sewagewater, polluted and effluent waters and to reduce COD, BOD, color and bad odour in them
* to prevent growth of toxic algal species called ‘red tides’ in the sea
and even
* to absorb global carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gases thereby solving global warming problem.

All this is done by our little friends, the algae. In this case specifically the diatom algae. The idea is to stimulate the growth of the diatoms, so that they will be the winners in the growing competition, not the blue-green algae or other nuisance algae. This is done by “micro nutrients in the form of nano particles which triggers the growth of diatoms (algae) in the water body, and not any other form of algae” as the company tells on their web page. Yes, I can see the question marks rising…

It seems to work, according to the company’s reports, of course. And there is nothing wrong with the central idea. It’s just that this engineer-like approach does not do justice to the wonderful complexity of the nature. The sum of two things can be very much more than an engineer can imagine. And therefore one should be quite careful before throwing something like this in to the nature in great amounts. Who knows what would happen, if one uses something like this on a really big scale – let’s say in an ocean? None of us.

Nature is far more ingenious than any team of engineers. Just accept it. And have respect for it.

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