Seaweed cultivation in the Faroe Islands:An investigation of the biochemical composition of selected macroalgal species, optimised seeding technics, and open-ocean cultivation methods from a commercial perspective
A global need for sustainable produced biomass has kick-started the development of commercial macroalgal cultivation in Europe. In contrast to the well-established nearshore cultivation in Asia, a Faroese company, Ocean Rainforest, has developed a MacroAlgal Cultivation Rig (MACR) that is suitable f...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Technical University of Denmark
2019
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| Online Access: | https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/321b2340-38c6-45de-8fd2-b9f414b3d10c https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/179022257/URD_THESIS_accepted_e_version_final.pdf https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/183321338/THESIS_URD_FINAL_sendt.pdf |
| Summary: | A global need for sustainable produced biomass has kick-started the development of commercial macroalgal cultivation in Europe. In contrast to the well-established nearshore cultivation in Asia, a Faroese company, Ocean Rainforest, has developed a MacroAlgal Cultivation Rig (MACR) that is suitable for oceanic conditions (>50 m water depth). The design has proven itself scalable since 10 MACR’s have been in operation since 2010. Still, the challenge is to reduce the cost of production to be competitive within the global market. The purpose of this PhD project was to optimize the cultivation method at sea for an applicable and economically profitable industry. The kelps Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta were cultivated on a commercial scale with 40 km of growth lines deployed in the Faroe Islands. The aquaculture output (AO; yield/ha/year) was optimised and multiple partial harvesting method was tested. Growth and yield were monitored through a three-year period at two cultivation sites, and the biochemical composition was determined from S. latissima, A. esculenta and Laminaria digitata samples collected monthly (2015-2016). Also, the purpose was to obtain indepth knowledge about the target biochemical composition of cultivated brown macroalgal species to plan harvest, decide on product applications, and plan for future biorefinery processes. Analyses of dry matter, minerals (ash), protein, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, α-carotene, β-carotene and D-vitamin, iodine, lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic including inorganic arsenic were performed, and evaluated in relation to their interannual, seasonal, site and depth variations. Finally, the purpose was to obtain new optimised seeding techniques of two kelp species and to find a way to the more challenging seeding and obtaining biomass of the red macroalga Palmaria palmata. Saccharina latissima sporophytes were seeded directly on ribbons using a binder and the method showed same length and density as ... |
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