Award details

13TSB_ACT: Seaweed as a Solution for Sustainable Economic and Environmental Development

Reference	BB/M005127/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Adam Hughes
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Scottish Association For Marine Science
Department	Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	94,680
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/05/2014
End date	31/10/2015
Duration	18 months

Abstract

Macroalgae have been used as a source of food for coastal communities since prehistory and its consumption has been long associated with good health and longevity. As of 2010 the global value of cultured aquatic plants (predominately marine macroalgae) had an estimated value of just over $12B US). The majority of this production is for high value food production, mainly consumed in China, Japan and Korea. However there is increasing interest in the domestic UK market for seaweed food products, such that wild harvest cannot now meet demand. Therefore the UK's leading producer of high quality seaweed food products has teamed up with an established aquaculture business to start the cultivation of seaweeds for human consumption. In order to overcome the biological and technical challenges this represents, a global leader in seaweed cultivation research will join the team in a true business-academia partnership.

Summary

Task 1.1 Optimisation of growing systems. Productivity can be defined both in terms of production per unit area, and production per unit volume of pumped water. Both the footprint of the system and the amount of water pumped directly impacts on the cost of production. A production system that maximises biomass production and quality while minimising on footprint and water pumping will be developed. This will be based on two accepted industry standards: conical bottom circular tanks (paxtons) and v bottom raceways. Task 1.2 Optimisation of the growth conditions. Physical parameters such as light availability, temperature, nutrients, and pH all affect the rate that seaweeds grow at and thence the productivity of the system. Building on the preliminary results from the MaraWeed project these variables will be optimised for the production systems trialled in Task 1.1. Replicated production units and regular monitoring over a series of short duration experiments (1 month) will be used to define the optimal parameters for the production system. Task 1.3 Development of new technology to increase the production season. The preliminary study has indicated that day length is likely to be the largest constraint on the productivity of the seaweed. To overcome this constraint the use of energy efficient LED lighting systems will be trialled. This will initially be done in controlled and replicated lab scale trials at SAMS to determine which systems are appropriate, and to demonstrate cost effectiveness. Task 2.1 Compare the nutritional profile of wild harvest and cultivated seaweeds. Nutritional profiles will be compared on a quarterly basis between wild harvested and cultivated seaweeds. In addition a full metal analysis will be conducted on both wild and cultivated seaweeds at two time periods. Task 2.2 Development of organic pest control systems. Three pest control systems will be tested to determine their efficacy of reducing grazers and fouling organisms. These will be freshwater, hydrogen peroxide, and iodine treatments. Small scale trial of the effectiveness against grazers and fouling organisms will be conducted at SAMS; protocols will be developed for larger scale production facilities. Task 3.1 Integration of seaweed cultivation with existing aquaculture at OF. To determine if there are benefits from developing an integrated system the outflow from the OF hatchery will be connected to the inflow of replicated seaweed production units. Task3.2 Performance monitoring of the integrated system. The productivity and quality (using same parameters as task 2.1) will be monitored for the integrated system over the course of 6 months. Task 3.3 Benefit analysis of the integrated system. The nutrient content (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate) of the water entering and leaving the integrated system will be analysed. This will determine the efficiency of the system to remove nutrient loading from aquaculture wastes. This data will be combined with the productivity data, and product quality data to perform cost benefit analysis of integrations. Task 4.1 Lab scale trials on the vegetative growth of two new species of seaweed. SP1 and SP2 will be grown at small scale in replicated trials at SAMS to determine whether they are suitable for large scale production. These trials will include determining whether the seaweeds will grow in tumble culture or if they need to be fixed Task 4.2 Observation of sexual reproduction in new species of seaweed. Elucidation of the full life history of seaweeds is notoriously difficult. However for the duration of task 4.1 the two species of seaweed will be kept under observation for signs of sexual development and spawning. Task4.3 Pilot scale commercial cultivation of new seaweeds. The information generated in T4.1 will be used to develop and run pilot scale cultivations of the two species at OF.

Impact Summary

With increasing global appetite for healthy and nutritional foods, global demand for 'natural products' for functional food and drink is set to grow to £132bn by 2017. With this, is a growing demand for seaweed and seaweed products: a marine derived crop rich in vitamins and minerals. This demand is driving the exponential growth of the seaweed cultivation industry which currently produces ~19million wet tonnes/annum (2010), 99% of which is produced in Asia where traditionally demand has been greatest. However, as demand for seaweed products spreads from East to West, Western countries such as the UK must be in a position to capitalise. Mara is a Scottish based SME producing high end culinary products made from seaweed harvested from the wild. Demand for Mara's products has steadily increased over recent years and is now at a level which cannot be sustained by wild sourced seaweed. Mara, and similar companies, demands a steady supply of high quality seaweed year-round. Due to the challenges associated with seaweed cultivation and resulting high costs of production, this supply is currently not available in the UK. This project, a collaboration between Mara (seaweed user), OtterFerry (seaweed producer) and SAMS (research provider in seaweed cultivation) will address this challenge by assessing the technical feasibility of developing novel on-shore cultivation systems capable of producing a consistent supply of high quality seaweed throughout the year whilst reducing production costs to ensure profitability. The project will produce protocols for the successful cultivation of key seaweed species which will be developed by OtterFerry to develop a successfully operational Pilot Scale Seaweed Cultivation System This project is driven by customer demand for seaweed products and, if feasibility is proven, will facilitate the formation of the UKs first sustainable seaweed supply chain. The immediate beneficiaries of this project are seaweed producers (e.g. OtterFerry),who will use the knowledge gained in this project to inform the development of a pilot scale seaweed cultivation system with optimised conditions for growth and economic operation. Development of such systems will enable the OtterFerry business to diversify their current aquaculture activities into seaweed production in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. This will begin to create a balance in the seaweed supply chain which currently cannot meet the demand. Seaweed 'buyers' or 'users' (e.g. Mara) will benefit immediately from this project by gaining forecast in seaweed supply, and an assessment of the feasibility (technically and economically) of sourcing seaweed from UK cultivation systems. In addition, the project will provide an assessment of the nutritional content of cultivated versus harvested seaweed which will inform future business models and marketing materials of Mara. By creating the technical knowledge required to develop seaweed cultivation systems capable of competing in the global seaweed market, the outputs of this project could lead to the formation of the first 'seaweed cultivation' supply chain in the UK which brings with it great opportunity for the UK to develop a strong and sustainable seaweed industry. Thus, the success of this feasibility project could lead to much wider benefits for the UK economy and society, particularly that of local rural communities through job creation and investment in seaweed cultivation businesses, expansion of existing aquaculture businesses and through supply availability and the creation of the new businesses operating in the seaweed product market, for which there is demonstrated global demand.

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Agri-Tech Catalyst (ATC) [2013-2015]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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