A story ran in the August 4, 1972 issue of the Portland Press Herald with the headline: “A Future for Seaweed?” The answer is yes. The story was about a young entrepreneur,Robert Morse, who started a seaweed processing
business, the Samoset Algae Co., in 1971.
In Chile, Bio Architecture Lab broke ground on an experimental pilot facility producing ethanol from Macrocystis pyrifera (brown seaweed): to date, it is believed that only BAL's technology can metabolize all the sugars in the feedstock, which contains up to 60 percent fermentable carbonhydrates, has no lignin, doens not require arable land use or freshwater to grow.
Partnership aims for fuels, chemicals & co-products from brown seaweed
In California, Bio Architecture Lab announced an agreement with China’s Xunshan Group, the world’s largest grower of brown seaweed and a global ocean fishery and aquaculture company. Under terms of the agreement, the companies will develop an integrated seaweed bio-refinery to produce a low cost carbohydrate for the production of renewable chemicals, fuels, animal feed and a variety of other high value products using Xunshan’s seaweed and Bal’s conversion technology.
Studies were made on protein, carbohydrate and lipid from 28 marine algae from Lakshadweep Islands. The protein content ranged from 0.1 to 18.9% in green algae, 4.6 to 12.2% brown algae and 2.7 to 13.1% in red algae. The carbohydrate content was from 0.5 to 15.846, 1.5 to 13.0% and 2.0 to 29.4% in gMn, brown and red algae respectively. The lipid content varied from 2.6 to 13.8% in green algae, 2.2 to 8.3% in brown algae and 3.1 to 8.3% in red algae
The present paper deals with some important biochemical components such at proteins, carbohydrates and lipids of 33 marina algae, growing abundantly on the coast of Ramanathapuram District. The results indicated that the green algae (Chlorophyceae) has the maximum of protein content ranging from 6 to 25.8%, next in order comes the brown algae (Phaeophyceae) with13 to 16.6% followed by red algae (Rhodophyceae) with 1.5 to 8.8%. The range of carbohydrate content was from 0.3 to 11.6% in green algae, 3.3 to 24.9% in brown algae and 1.8 to 57.0% in red algae. The lipid content ranged from 0.6 to 8.6% in green algae, 0.6 to 3.7% in brown algae and 0.4 to 6.1% in red algae. The results of the study give an Insight into the biochemical content of the algal species studied could be used to decide their suitability for the formulation of feed to fishes in aquaculture and to other animals.
This study describes the method development for bioethanol production from three species of seaweed. Laminaria digitata, Ulva lactuca and for the first time Dilsea carnosa were used as representatives of brown, green and red species of seaweed, respectively. Acid thermo-chemical and entirely aqueous (water) based pre-treatments were evaluated, using a range of sulphuric acid concentrations (0.125–2.5 M) and solids loading contents (5–25 % [w/v]; biomass: reactant) and different reaction times (5–30 min), with the aim of maximising the release of glucose following enzyme hydrolysis. A pre-treatment step for each of the three seaweeds was required and pre-treatment conditions were found to be specific to each seaweed species. Dilsea carnosa and U. lactuca were more suited with an aqueous (water-based) pre-treatment (yielding 125.0 and 360.0 mg of glucose/g of pretreated seaweed, respectively), yet interestingly non pre-treated D. carnosa yielded 106.4 g g−1 glucose. Laminaria digitata required a dilute acid thermo-chemical pre-treatment in order to liberate maximal glucose yields (218.9 mg glucose/g pre-treated seaweed). Fermentations with S. cerevisiae NCYC2592 of the generated hydrolysates gave ethanol yields of 5.4 g L−1, 7.8 g L−1 and 3.2 g L−1 from D. carnosa, U. lactuca and L. digitata, respectively. This study highlighted that entirely aqueous based pretreatments are effective for seaweed biomass, yet bioethanol production alone may not make such bio-processes economically viable at large scale.
Marine resources have tremendous potential for developing high-value biomaterials. The last decade has seen an increasing number of biomaterials that originate from marine organisms. This field is rapidly evolving. Marine biomaterials experience several periods of discovery and development ranging from coralline bone graft to polysaccharide-based biomaterials. The latter are represented by chitin and chitosan, marine-derived collagen, and composites of different organisms of marine origin. The diversity of marine natural products, their properties and applications are discussed thoroughly in the present review. These materials are easily available and possess excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and potent bioactive characteristics. Important applications of marine biomaterials include medical applications, antimicrobial agents, drug delivery agents, anticoagulants, rehabilitation of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, bone diseases and diabetes, as well as comestible, cosmetic and industrial applications.
The brown seaweed Sargassum wightii Greville ex J. Agardh 1848 was collected from Pamban (south east coast of Tamilnadu, India; Latitude 9o18’N and Longitude 79o12’ E) and extracted with different solvents such as acetone, ethanol, benzene and chloroform in a soxhlet apparatus. The antibacterial activity of the extracts were tested against natural pathogens isolated from housefly (Musca domestica Linnaeus 1758), such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli respectively. The extracts were also subjected to alpha amylase inhibitory, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities following standard protocols. Ethanol extract exerted high inhibitory effect on all the microbes and was assertive against B. cereus (14.2 mm). Potential and significant (p<0.05) alpha amylase inhibition was observed in the chloroform extract (81.24±8.063%). The benzene extract had significantly (p<0.05) higher antioxidant activity (74.44±3.27%) and the antiinflammatory activity was comparatively higher in the acetone extract (65.5±1.21%). However, the control drugs exhibited better activity than all the tested extracts. The qualitative phytochemistry showed the presence of flavonoids, pholobatannins, phenolic compounds, aromatic acids and xanthoproteins. The Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectrum contained eight major peaks which confirmed the presence of amino, keto, fluoro alkane group and aromatic compounds in the extracts which could be responsible for the bioactivity.
In Malaysia, the uses of water for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes is increasing considerably, resulting in a rapid increase in the wastewater volume and pollutants. The mariculture industries are also facing the same problems. This research focuses on the impact of shrimp farming activities on the environment. The continuing discharge of contaminants from the pond obviously shows that no concern to conform with environmental regulations and good farming practices. Therefore, an efficient treatment system must be developed to improve the water quality at low operational cost and environmentally viable. In the present study, the performance of Gracilaria changii and Gracilaria edulis as biofilters for nutrients removal from shrimp pond in a laboratory scale and outdoor environment were assessed. The outdoor experiments were conducted in an Outdoor Recirculating Culture System (ORCS). The water flow rate was 200 L/hr. In the laboratory batch culture experiments, both species demonstrated considerably high nutrient removal efficiencies for ammonium, nitrate and phosphate concentrations. The removal efficiencies were 72.5%, 58.8% and 45.9% for G. edulis, and 71%, 56.8% and 43.5% for G. changii, respectively. The mean specific growth rate (SGR) for G. edulis was 3.5 ± 1.0 % day-1, while G. changii was 3.3 ± 0.9 % day-1. As for experiments conducted in ORCS, the nutrient removal efficiencies for ammonium, nitrate and phosphate were 86.2%, 59.3% and 52.0% for G. edulis, and 78.1%, 55.5% and 65.9% for G. changii, respectively. The mean SGR for G. edulis was 3.91 ± 1.0 % day-1 and G. changii was 3.69 ± 0.6 % day-1. The removal efficiency and SGR of G. edulis and G. changii in ORCS were higher compared to the laboratory batch culture experiments. The efficiency of biosand filters (BSF) to reduce total suspended solid, turbidity and chlorophyll-a of shrimp pond water was also assessed. The results showed that total suspended solid, turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentrations decreased significantly. The BSFdepicted 70.6%, 70.0% and 60.0% efficiencies in the reduction of TSS, turbidity and chlorophyll-a, respectively. The integration of shrimp culture with G. edulis in ORCS was conducted as well, and the study proved to be successful. Results showed that shrimp and seaweed grew well in the system. The mean SGR for shrimp and G. edulis were 1.31 ± 0.76 % d-1 and 4.4 % d-1, respectively. High survival rate of shrimp (91%) was observed in the treatment unit. The design considerations, the combination of cultured species and application of G. edulis as biofilter in this study provides useful information for aquaculture field. The findings include improvement of shrimp water quality to an acceptable level that ultimately enhances shrimp and seaweeds productivity and produces an ecologically sustainable treatment and cultivation system.
To develop the most productive plants on earth - microalgae - to produce biofuels, nutritional oils, aquaculture and animal feeds while simultaneously reducing industrial emmissions of CO2.
Marine Agronomy Group, CAFNRM, UH-Hilo
200 W. Kawili st., HI 96720, USA
Contact: Marine.Agronomy.Group@gmail.com
Funding for this web portal is provided by the World Wildlife Fund and the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
