Fort Myers, Florida-- A Fort Myers teen's invention is grabbing the attention of researchers.

Five years ago, after seeing a sea turtle dead on the beach because of red tide, Amanda Podlasek started working on a filtration system to combat the algae bloom.

She created an invention made of milk crates that contain fiberglass plates to collect oysters. 

Think of it as a small home for filter feeding species like tuna, clams and oysters.

"I was walking along the beach and I saw all these dead fish along the beach and I thought 'something must be done about this,'" said Podlasek. "Instead of using a different animal from outside our local area, why not use ones we have locally?"

Researchers think Podlasek's creation on a larger scale could help curb red tide from out beaches.