The availability of essential fatty acids (FAs) in algae is critical to the successful development of bivalve larvae in shellfish hatcheries. Among these, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are critical for shellfish development, yet concentrations of these FAs in algal cultures can vary with growth phase and harvesting practices. This preliminary study examines the fatty acid composition of Chaetoceros muelleri (CHGRA) grown in Industrial Plankton’s automated photobioreactors (PBR 1250Ls) across two steady-state harvesting regimes to evaluate tradeoffs in algal yield and quality.
Cultures of CHGRA were grown under two automated harvesting schedules (200 L/day and 400 L/day), and samples were analyzed for FA composition. Results indicated stable cell densities within each run, though as expected, cultures with a lower harvest rate (200 L/day) showed higher cell counts. However, the 400 L/day regime yielded a 19% increase in algal biomass production, demonstrating a significant boost in daily yield with minimal impact on FA composition.
These findings suggest that higher harvesting rates in automated photobioreactors can optimize algal biomass production without substantial compromise in nutritional quality. The study shows the potential for shellfish hatcheries to further improve larval feed supply efficiency using automated bioreactors.