Module 1: Seaweed Cultivation and Monitoring Protocols

Module 1: Introduction to the module

Authors:

Jean-François Arbona, C-Weed Aquaculture (France) email: info@c-weed-aquaculture.com, profile: https://www.c-weed-aquaculture.com/en/;
Jose M. Fariñas-Franco, National University of Ireland Galway/Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (Ireland) email: josemaria.farinas-franco@gmit.ie, profile: https://sites.google.com/view/drjosefarinas-franco/home
Rosa Melo, CIIMAR (Portugal) email: rmelo@ciimar.up.pt, profile: https://www2.ciimar.up.pt/team.php?id=552
Isabel Azevedo, CIIMAR (Portugal) email: iazevedo@ciimar.up.pt, profile: https://www2.ciimar.up.pt/team.php?id=253
Isabel Sousa Pinto, CIIMAR (Portugal) email: ispinto@ciimar.up.pt, profile: https://www2.ciimar.up.pt/research.php?team=9

Practical information: This module is divided into four, one-hour lessons. A PDF version of the module will be available below.

Lesson 1 – Seaweed Cultivation

Lesson 2 – Techniques and Protocols

Lesson 3 – Opportunities and Future Prospects

Lesson 4 – Monitoring Protocols for Seaweed Farming

Module description:

Seaweeds are extremely diverse. In addition to their ecological importance, there is an increasing industrial use of seaweed. In this module you will learn about the main farmed seaweed related principles and associated problems. You will acquire some knowledge about the main cultivation techniques, species and the variations in productivity. Additionally, you will learn how to record and quantify the biodiversity associated with seaweed farms, monitor their effects on the environment and evaluate the ecosystem services they provide.

Expected learning outcomes are:

Lesson 1 – Identify the best cultivation methods for various seaweed species and understand common cultivation barriers

Lesson 2 – Apply the recommended cultivation processes and techniques to each seaweed species

Lesson 3 – Explore and acquire knowledge on the potential range of opportunities in the seaweed farming industry along with the advantages and disadvantages of seaweed farming in the community. Apply this knowledge for various applications throughout the biorefinery process

Lesson 4 – Acquire knowledge of how to measure the environmental impact seaweed farms might have on the surrounding environment. Apply this knowledge to quantify the ecosystem services they provide, for example enhancing marine biodiversity.

Lesson 1 - Seaweed Cultivation

Content: PDF document with 24 slides.

Mod1_Lesson1_Seaweed Cultivation

Associated Reading:

Mahalik, N.P. & Kim, K. (2014). Aquaculture Monitoring and Control Systems for Seaweed and Fish Farming. World Journal of Agricultural Research. 2 (4): 176–82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12691/wjar-2-4-7

Radulovich, R., Neori, A., Valderrama, D., Reddy, C.R.K., Cronin, H. & Forster, J. (2015). Farming of Seaweeds. In Tiwari, B. K. & Troy, D. J. [Eds.] Seaweed Sustainability Food and Non-Food Applications. 1st ed. 14th September 2015, London, pp. 27–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-418697-2.00003-9

Additional resources:

Organic Seaweed cultivation in Brittany, all cultivation steps explained in a 10-minute video by C-Weed Aquaculture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RCC6u7uRYo

GENIALG Final Conference, Seaweed for the Future: Scaling-up the European Sector.

Session 2: Saccharina latissima Value Chain: Saccharina latissima Seaweed Offshore Cultivation presented by Frank Neumann, Seaweed Solutions, Norway.

Recording link: https://youtu.be/ZNZZnKjVj44?t=4h17m57s.

Presentation link: http://genialgproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/9.-Saccharina-latissima-Seaweed-Offshore-Cultivation.pdf

ALGAplus – Marine Agronomists, promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1VFm2xfiDw; https://www.algaplus.pt/en/

What is Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture? Sara Barrento: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwQFZVe1tHw

Low Trophic Life Webinar: “Advances in IMTA & Biofloc Research at UFSC” by AquaVitae project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir8pS7LI_DM

Lesson 2 – Techniques and Protocols

Content: PDF document with 26 slides.

Mod1_Lesson2_Techniques and Protocols

Associated Reading:

Additional resources:

Seaweed Solutions – The Future of Farming is at Sea, promotional video: https://youtu.be/LZ3olmIkTTk; https://seaweedsolutions.com/

Coastal Fisheries Training | 5.2 – Seaweed farming in Pacific Island countries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1A-1JIumKk

Other European research projects focusing on seaweed aquaculture:

AquaVitae: https://aquavitaeproject.eu/

BIOSEA: https://biosea-project.eu/

EnAlgae: http://www.enalgae.eu/

Global Seaweed Star: https://www.globalseaweed.org/

KELPPRO: https://kelppro.net/

IMPAQT: https://impaqtproject.eu/about-impaqt/

MACRO CASCADE: https://www.macrocascade.eu/

SolKelp: https://www.solkelp.net/

VALUEMAG: https://www.valuemag.eu/

Successful seaweed farming with SAMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGeE3PtVXo

Experimental seaweed farms: https://www.sams.ac.uk/facilities/seaweed-farms/

Lesson 3 – Opportunities and Future Prospects

Content: PDF document with 17 slides.

Mod1_Lesson3_Opportunites and Future Prospects

Associated Reading:

EU’s Aquaculture Advisory Council has published its first general recommendation on seaweed farming and its high potential in Europe: https://genialgproject.eu/2021/01/20/eus-aquaculture-advisory-council-has-published-its-first-general-recommendation-on-seaweed-farming-and-its-high-potential-in-europe/. Link to document: https://www.aac-europe.org/images/jdownloads/AAC_Recommendation_-_Seaweed_I_2021_02.pdf

The Seaweed Manifesto: Towards implementation: https://genialgproject.eu/2020/09/30/the-seaweed-manifesto-towards-implementation/. Link to recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNQWa8pcN1M&feature=youtu.be. Link to Seaweed Manifesto: https://ungc-communications-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/publications/The-Seaweed-Manifesto.pdf.

Seaweed Manifesto website: http://www.seaweedmanifesto.com/

Additional resources:

Algaia – We Create Value from the Sea, corporate video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex0E95zlG3s&feature=youtu.be; https://www.algaia.com/

Olmix Group, For a Better Life, https://youtu.be/zIGg3ARDE-c; https://www.olmix.com/

Other European research projects focusing on seaweed opportunities and future prospects:

ABACUS: https://www.abacus-bbi.eu/

BioBridges Project: https://www.biobridges-project.eu/

CtLight: http://www.cesam.ua.pt/index.php?menu=82&language=eng&tabela=projectosdetail&projectid=958

MAGNIFICENT ALGAE: https://magnificent-algae.eu/

SABANA: http://www.eu-sabana.eu/

ValorMar: https://valormar.pt/en/home-2/

VALUEMAG: https://www.valuemag.eu/

Safe Seaweed Coalition: https://seaweedrevolution.live.ft.com/

Seaweed: sustainable crop of the future? | FT Food Revolution: https://genialgproject.eu/2020/12/11/seaweed-sustainable-crop-of-the-future/. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3zlloRFC8g

Case Study Meeting – Offshore Macroalgae Cultivation by AquaVitae project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2uQsygNN7U

Lesson 4 – Monitoring Protocols for Seaweed Farming

Content: PDF document with 16 slides.

Mod1_Lesson4_Monitoring protocols

Associated Reading:

Bernard, M. S., Tonk, L., de Groot, G. A., Glorius, S., & Jansen, H. (2019). Biodiversity monitoring in seaweed farms by DNA metabarcoding using settlement plates and water samples. (Wageningen Marine Research rapport; No. C070/19). Wageningen Marine Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18174/496237

Campbell, I., Macleod, A., Sahlmann, C., Neves, L., Funderud, J., Øverland, M., Hughes, A. D., & Stanley, M. (2019). The Environmental Risks Associated With the Development of Seaweed Farming in Europe – Prioritizing Key Knowledge Gaps. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00107

Hasselström, L., Visch, W., Gröndahl, F., Nylund, G. M., & Pavia, H. (2018). The impact of seaweed cultivation on ecosystem services – a case study from the west coast of Sweden. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 133, 53–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.005

Teagle, H., Hawkins, S. J., Moore, P. J., & Smale, D. A. (2017). The role of kelp species as biogenic habitat formers in coastal marine ecosystems. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 492, 81–98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.01.017

Visch, W., Kononets, M., Hall, P. O. J., Nylund, G. M., & Pavia, H. (2020). Environmental impact of kelp (Saccharina latissima) aquaculture. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 155, 110962. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110962

Walls, A., Kennedy, R., Edwards, M., & Johnson, M. (2017). Impact of kelp cultivation on the Ecological Status of benthic habitats and Zostera marina seagrass biomass. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 123(1–2), 19–27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.048

Wood, D., Capuzzo, E., Kirby, D., Mooney, K. & Kerrison, P. (2017). UK macroalgae aquaculture: What are the key environmental and licensing considerations? Marine Policy 83: 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.05.021. Online link.

Ecosystem services and environmental impacts associated with commercial kelp aquaculture: http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6913

Additional resources:

GENIALG Final Conference, Seaweed for the Future: Scaling-up the European Sector.

Session 3: Social-environmental Benefits of Seaweed Farming: Ecological Impact of Seaweed Cultivation presented by Jose Maria Fariñas-Franco, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Recording link: https://youtu.be/ZNZZnKjVj44?t=6h50m46s.

Presentation link: https://genialgproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16.-Ecological-impact-of-seaweed-cultivation.pdf