Aquaculture America 2020

February 9 - 12, 2020

Honolulu, Hawaii

FOOD, FEEDS, FERTILIZERS AND BIOFUELS - OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF OPEN WATER SEAWEED AQUACULTURE IN THE USA

Charles Yarish* , Scott Lindell , Michael Stekoll, J ang  K. Kim, Simona Augyte, J anet E. Kübler, David  Bailey, Jean-Luc Jannink , Mao Huang , K elly R. Robbins, Bren Smith, Loretta Roberson , C liff A. Goudey, Dominic Manganelli, Hauke Kite-Powell, Erick Ask and Beau Perry
 
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Connecticut
1 University Place
 Stamford, CT, 06901,
charles.yarish@uconn.edu  
 

The value of cultivated seaweeds  worldwide exceeds $U.S. 11.0 billion with a production of more than 30 million metric tons. The most valued of the maricultured seaweeds is the red alga Porphyra/Pyropia , or nori. It is a major source of food for humans throughout the world, although it is primarily cultivated in Asia (China, Japan and South Korea). Worldwide production is approximately 2 million metric tons with an annual value of over $U.S. 1.9 billion. In addition to Porphyra/Pyropia , other edible seaweeds include Gracilaria ,  Undaria  and Saccharina with their collective value exceeding $U.S. 7.3 billion. Farmed seaweeds are also the industrial sources of carrageenans (Eucheuma and Kappaphycus) and agars (Gracilaria ). These important polysaccharides are found in food,  used in biotechnological and biomedical industries and have a global value more than U.S. $1.2 billion. The increasing demand for safe, healthy, and minimally processed foods is creating new opportunities for seaweed products as functional foods, nutraceuticals,  cosmeceuticals  and alternative medicinal products  that have enabled the growth of seaweed farming industry in US coastal waters . This developing industry is environmentally responsible, provides ecosystem services by removing excess nutrients (carbon and nitrogen) from the ecosystems, improves water quality and potentially reduces ocean acidification . With the nursery  and outplanting technologies developed at the University of Connecticut and  the  University of Alaska  for  Saccharina latissima and other kelp species have been successfully cultivated in open water farms in the Northeast  and in the Gulf of Alaska, USA .  In addition to kelp cultivation, The University of Connecticut and others also have successfully cultivated Gracilaria tikvahiae and Pyropia/Porphyra in open water farms in the Northeast  USA.  Seaweed aquaculture now offers  other  new opportunities  with the planned  expansion  into the E xclusive E conomic Zone with the ARPA-e (US DOE) MARINER Program.  With improvements in productivity, kelp species , Eucheuma  spp.  and other seaweeds could potentially be a viable  feedstock for  commodity applications including animal feeds and  biofuels.  More details about the current technologies and future directions of seaweed aquaculture in the US will be presented.