Bruce Kania, CEO of Floating Islands International, and his team has created a clever solution to help increase the water quality of open bodies of water.
Floating Islands International has sold more than 4,000 floating islands – or plant rafts – to help clean polluted lakes and ponds in 12 countries.
The plant rafts allow plants to dangle their roots in the water. The roots become home to biofilms that eat nitrates and phosphates and, thereby, eliminating algae blooms that feed off the nitrates and phosphates. In turn, micro-organisms eat the biofilms and the fish feed off the organisms, allowing the water to gradually get cleaner.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.