**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT, ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY PROCESS TO TREAT AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PROCESSING WASTEWATERS WHILE TRANSFORMING NUTRIENT POLLUTANTS INTO NUTRIENT-RICH ZOOPLANKTON, SPECIFICALLY THE LARGE-BODIED ZOOPLANKTER DAPHNIA PULICARIA, FOR USE AS AQUACULTURE FISH FEED. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM COUPLES ANAEROBIC DIGESTION WITH AEROBIC BACTERIA AND ALGAL TREATMENT TO REMOVE ORGANICS AND NUTRIENT POLLUTANTS FROM WASTEWATER. THE RESULTING ALGAL BIOMASS WILL BE FED TO DAPHNIA. ONE OF THE LARGEST BARRIERS TOWARD REALIZING PAIRED DIGESTER-ALGAL SYSTEMS IS THE PRESENCE OF ALGAL INHIBITORS IN ANAEROBIC DIGESTATE (LIQUID EFFLUENT). CURRENT PRACTICES INVOLVES EXTENSIVE DILUTION OF DIGESTATE (10-30 FOLD) IN ORDER TO OVERCOME INHIBITION AND STIMULATE ALGAL GROWTH, A NON-STARTER FOR WATER-SCARCE REGIONS. OUR APPROACH IMPROVES ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ADDS VALUE TO THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY BY RAISING THE VALUE OF FARMERS' WASTE MATERIAL, WHILE RECYCLING NUTRIENTS WITHIN THE AGRO-ECOSYSTEM.THE PI HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED AN AEROBIC PRETREATMENT PROCESS THAT STIMULATES RAPID ALGAL GROWTH ON FULL-STRENGTH DIGESTATES, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR DILUTION WATER. WE PLAN TO TEST THIS TECHNOLOGY ON A RANGE OF FOOD WASTE AND MANURE SOURCES, FEEDING THE PRODUCED ALGAE TO STRAINS OF DAPHNIA PULICARIA PREVIOUSLY SHOWN TO TOLERATE (AND CONTROL) TOXIC ALGAL COMMUNITIES IN ADDITION TO STUDYING TROPHIC TRANSFER OF NUTRIENTS AND POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS. DATA FROM EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP A PROCESS MODEL AND TECHNOECONOMIC ASSESSMENT, NECESSARY STEPS FOR PROCESS SCALE-UP. THIS PROJECT ALSO INTEGRATES THE TRAINING OF K12, UNDERGRADUATE, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS, AS WELL AS FARMERS AND INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH PLANNED OUTREACH PROGRAMMING.