Seaweed Aquaculture in Northeast of the U.S. for...

Seaweed Aquaculture

in Northeast of the

U.S. for Production,

Ecosystem Services

and Strain

Development

Charles Yarish*1,

J.K. Kim1,2 and S. Augyte1

1University of Connecticut

charles.yarish@uconn.edu2Incheon National University

Long Island Sound

Humans have altered global nitrogen cycle

5Issues in Ecology #15, Ecological Society of America, www.esa.org/issues

What is nutrient bioextraction?

• The removal of nutrients from an aquatic ecosystem through the harvest of enhanced biological production (aquaculture of seaweed and/or shellfish)

River

Influx

Land

Runoff

Wastewater

Obstacles to the Growth of Marine Aquaculture in North America

• Coastal zone use conflicts

• Permit, licensing, lease application processes

• Compliance with environmental regulations

• Cost effectiveness of the aquaculture (culture & breeding technologies)

• Processing

• Food safety (development of science to inform regulatory agencies)

How Do You Grow Seaweeds?

1. Initiate Laboratory Culturesowild specimens with desirable

characterso isolate spores or tissueo produce mass cultures of an

appropriate life history stage

2. “Seed” lines for out-planting

3. Grow-out4. Harvest

Saccharina latissima Life History

Kelp Biology

Kelp grown on seed string wrapped around PVC spools left spools initially after inoculation; middle set of spools about 14-21d after inoculation; and right spools about 28-35 d after inoculation.

Modular nursery system for the continuous mass production of

young Saccharina plants.

UCONN Ocean Approved

ME

CT

• Farms

• Nurseries

• Educational

Labs

2015-2016

Kelp Aquaculture in New England:

6 Years and Growing

RI

MA

Courtesy of S. Redmond

Harvesting

Productivity

~ 1,752 kg per 100 m longline

(Dec. – May growing season)

Productivity (sugar kelp)

*29.2 – 116.7 MT FW ha-1

(Dec. – May growing season)

* Assumption: 1.5 or 6.0 m spacing between longlines Kim et al. 2015, Marine Ecol. Prog. Series

Productivity, Tissue Nitrogen and Nitrogen Removal

Western LIS

Western LIS

Western LIS

• Saccharina latissima

• 1.5 m spacing of lines

• Sugar kelp: ~180 kg N ha-1 &

2309 kg C ha-1 (Dec. – May)

Saccharina latissima forma angustissima

from southern Maine

vectorgenius.com

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016

Pro

du

cti

on

(k

g m

-1)

Growing season

Kelp (LIS)

Narrow kelp (ME)

Kelp production in the Northeast of the US

Temperature Profile in LIS (2012-2016)

Self- and hybrid crosses of S. latissima strains to develop the most suitable strains

Kelp Selective Breeding

(Photo: NFRDI Seaweed Research Center)

Project Partners

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution & Marine Biology Labs

• Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education

Center (BRASTEC)

• Ocean Approved, GreenWave, Noank Aquaculture Cooperative

• Growers: Thimble Island Oyster Co., Norm Bloom & Son, DJ King

Lobsters, Taylor Cultured Seafoods, Quissett Point Oyster Co.

• Maine Fresh Sea Farms, Maine Coast Sea vegetables

• Maine Sea Grant Program

• Norwalk Community College

• UCONN School of Business

• UCONN & Purchase College and students

• Rocking the Boat

• Connecticut & Maine Sea Grant College Programs

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food

and Agriculture (NIFA)

• NOAA SBIR I and II

• U.S. EPA Long Island Sound Study's Long Island Sound

Futures Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

• University of Connecticut, Incheon National University

• Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

Acknowledgements