Patent ID: 8458952

Claim:
A method of cultivating and harvesting algae comprising the steps of: (a) generating one or more species of algae at a site by seeding a pond containing aqueous growth medium (AGM); (b) connecting the pond to a primary de-watering device (PDWD) including one or more baffles, one or more inlets and a plurality of outlets, where all or a portion of the AGM introduced to the PDWD through the one or more inlets is a growth media to be harvested (GMH); (c) fractionating the GMH into at least a top fraction and a bottom fraction during a settling time; (d) adjusting a flow control device adapted to remove the bottom fraction from the PDWD through at least one of the plurality of outlets of the PDWD; (e) removing the bottom fraction through at least one of the plurality of outlets of the PDWD so that the concentration of algae in the top fraction is lower than the concentration of algae in the GMH; and (f) returning the top fraction to the pond through one or more of the plurality of outlets of the PDWD.