Algae farms, a new system to combat marine pollution

The study, published in the ‘Journal of Fisheries’, focused on analyzing differences in nutrient and carbon removal in fish. wild and grown seaweed for human The results show the differences between the two species in nitrogen and carbon percentage content. alarya marginata And Saccharina latissima.

Farm algae’s water filtering capacity could help reduce marine pollution in coastal areasAccording to new research led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Researchers sampled carbon and nitrogen levels at two Alaskan kelp farms during the 2020-21 growing season. Tissue and seawater samples, marine algae species different capacities to remove nutrients your surroundings

“Some algae are literally like sponges: they suck and absorb and never get full.‘, explains Schery Umanzor, a professor in the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and lead author of the study.

“Although carbon and carbon sequestration by seaweeds has received the most attention, seaweed is actually much better than carbon at reducing excess nitrogen“It’s something that is often overlooked,” says Umanzor.

potential threats

This nitrogen pollution The University of Alaska explained in a note that it is caused by factors such as urban sewage, domestic water runoff, or the disposal of fish waste in coastal areas.

Pollutant discharges can cause various problems. potential threats in marine environments, including toxic algal bloomsA increased bacterial activity And reduced oxygen levels“.

“Although algae that grow in polluted waters are not used as food, they can be a promising tool for cleaning up these areas,” the academic body said.

Seaweed farming, which is not yet widespread in Europe, is an emerging industry in Alaska that is encouraged to improve food security and create new job opportunities.

It has also been recognized as a Global scale method for storing carbonwhat could be a “form” reducing atmospheric carbon levels that contribute to climate change“.

Analysis of algal tissue samples determined that the species was most effective in absorbing both carbon and nitrogen. alarya marginataTypically along the northeastern Pacific coast from Alaska to California, Saccharina latissima, a brown algae commonly known as kelp or seagrass, whose distribution includes the Galician coast. However, this difference was partially offset by the higher density of sugar moss forests.

happening now expand the workby processing a larger collection of specimens collected from six Alaskan kelp farms for the upcoming season.

“Maybe it’s a function of the species, maybe the region, maybe the type of carbon and nitrogen,” says Umanzor. “There is still a lot to know in a follow-up study,” he adds.

algae like mussels

This research comes to similar conclusions with previous research from the University of Plymouth that referred to open water mussel farms and their capacity as ‘carbon scavengers’.

In fact, the European Union (EU) has called for the relocation of aquaculture to the high seas, taking into account the environmental problems created by some coastal marine farms.

“Bivalve aquaculture ‘retainer’ carbonbecause these animals use that of the water to create calcium carbonate and therefore extract carbon from the ocean, which is “An important regulatory ecosystem service in the effort to mitigate climate changeAccording to British researchers.

He led the study First long-term experimental ecological evidence that open water mussel culture can have positive effects and restorers in degraded seabed habitats.

Indeed, in addition to increased carbon ‘sequestration’, populations of many fish species increased significantly In the region where the study has been carried out since the mussel farm was opened

Reference work: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9496/3/1/1