Sustainable farming at sea

83 Pages·2016·11.93 MB·English

by  Martin Brinkman

Sustainable farming at sea
To secure food, feed, green chemistry and energy

Wageningen, 26 January 2016

Willem A. Brandenburg
We are not aware using
seaweeds everyday!
Seaweeds are algae
Algae: a heterogeneous group
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Blue algae
“Algae”
Green algae
Brown algae
Red algae
Eukaryotes
2000 spp.

1200 spp. 6000 spp.
Seaweeds in the North Sea
Dulse
Palmaria palmata
(red seaweed)
Laminaria digitata
(brown seaweed)
All these seaweeds have
economic potential.
We now have to recognise
the for domestication
relevant characters in other Sea Lettuce Wakame
Seaweeds. Ulva lactuca Undaria pinnatifida
(green seaweed) (brown seaweed)
Seaweed biology
No energy loss: seaweeds are hardly differentiating

Total biomass can be harvested

Total variation of photosynthesis systems; light extincts fastly

in the water column, but some seaweeds are still growing
100m below sea surface (clear water)
Production possible throughout the year

Brown seaweeds such as Saccharina and Laminaria spp. grow during

winter season
Marine ecological literature is not always relevant for

cultivation (red seaweeds does not grow slowly under
production conditions)
Seaweed biology: growing depths from sea
surface
Green seaweed
0
Brown
-10
-20 seaweed
-30
-40
Red
meter -50 Depth of seawater
seaweed
-60
-70
-80
-90
-100
m Green Brown Red seaweed
seaweed seaweed
Our model plant: Ulva lactuca or Sea Lettuce
Our model plant: Ulva lactuca or Sea Lettuce

Biofilter

Bioplastics >> marine biodegradable

Proteins >> sustainable aquatic feed >> human food

Antibiotics

Bioenergy >> ethanol or biodiesel

Green chemicals >> ulvans, lipids, fucose, fucoxanthin