Smart raft system and method for monitoring and improving water quality to mitigate algal blooms

A system for monitoring and improving water quality to mitigate harmful algal blooms using smart rafts, the system comprising:

• one or more rafts, each raft made from a mycomaterial;
• one or more tube-shaped pods formed in the raft, evenly distributed throughout the entire raft, comprising a root channel at the bottom of the pods extending through a bottom of the raft;
• a water channel extending through a bottom of each raft;
• a water quality sensor on each raft;
• a sensor holder formed in each raft and configured to hold the water quality sensor accessing the water channel,
• wherein the sensor is configured to sense nitrate ions, precipitation levels, temperature, and phytoextraction and phytostabilization of metals, and generate sensor information based on same,
• a microcontroller on each raft configured to receive sensor information from the water quality sensor and deploy the raft based on the water quality sensor;
• wherein remedial plants are grown in the tube-shaped pods with roots of the remedial plants passing through the water channel into water underneath the raft;
• a surface camera mounted on top of each raft for providing one of media documentation, surveillance, and status information;
• an underwater camera mounted underneath each raft for providing visual information of water quality;
• one or more solar panels mounted on each raft serving as a power source for electronic elements;
• a global positioning system (GPS) mounted on each raft providing positional information;
• a motor mounted on each raft to drive a propulsion system to actively move and position of the raft;
• the propulsion system mounted on each raft to provide for controlled movement of the raft;
• a rudder to steer each raft into desired positions;
• a coupling device to allow one or more rafts to be connected and disconnected to one another, wherein the one or more rafts are deployable across a body of water to evaluate water quality conditions and generate respective sensor information, and
• wherein the one or more rafts are deployable in targeted locations within a body of water to improve water quality conditions and generate respective sensor information;
• and
• one or more sampling drones comprising liquid sample receptacles configured to capture multiple liquid samples from a water body, the sampling drone in communication with each raft via a communication link, the sampling drone configured to screen the water quality conditions and deploy the controllable raft to targeted locations.