Seaweed aquaculture, the fastest-growing component of global food production, offers a slate of opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Seaweed farms release carbon that maybe buried in sediments or exported to the deep sea, therefore acting as a CO2 sink. The crop can also be used, in total or in part, for biofuel production, with a potential CO2 mitigation capacity, in terms of avoided emissions from fossil fuels, of about 1500 tons CO2 km-2 year-1. Seaweed aquaculture can also help reduce the emissions from agriculture, by improving soil quality substituting synthetic fertilizer and, when included in cattle fed, lowering methane emissions from cattle. Seaweed aquaculture contributes to climate change adaptation by damping wave energy and protecting shorelines, and by elevating pH and supplying oxygen to the waters, thereby locally reducing the effects of ocean acidification and de-oxygenation. The scope to expand seaweed aquaculture is, however, limited by the availability of suitable areas and competition for suitable areas with other uses, engineering systems capable of coping with rough conditions offshore and an increasing market demand for seaweed products, among other factors. Despite these limitations, seaweed farming practices can be optimized to maximize climate benefits, which may, if economically compensated, improve the income of seaweed farmers.

/pdf/can-seaweed-farming-play-a-role-in-climate-change-mitigation-2l1rlmfbhw.pdf

Can seaweed farming play a role in climate change mitigation and adaptation

Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the coasts of UK and Ireland, which represents an important biogeographic transition zone that is subjected to multiple threats and stressors. We collated existing data on kelp distribution and abundance and reanalyzed these data to describe the structure of kelp forests along a spatial gradient spanning more than 10° of latitude. We then examined ecological goods and services provided by kelp forests, including elevated secondary production, nutrient cycling, energy capture and flow, coastal defense, direct applications, and biodiversity repositories, before discussing current and future threats posed to kelp forests and identifying key knowledge gaps. Recent evidence unequivocally demonstrates that the structure of kelp forests in the NE Atlantic is changing in response to climate- and non-climate-related stressors, which will have major implications for the structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, kelp-dominated habitats along much of the NE Atlantic coastline have been chronically understudied over recent decades in comparison with other regions such as Australasia and North America. The paucity of field-based research currently impedes our ability to conserve and manage these important ecosystems. Targeted observational and experimental research conducted over large spatial and temporal scales is urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps.

/pdf/threats-and-knowledge-gaps-for-ecosystem-services-provided-e88azn0i2a.pdf

Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective.

Blue Growth Potential to Mitigate Climate Change through Seaweed Offsetting.

Life cycle assessment of macroalgal biorefinery for the production of ethanol, proteins and fertilizers – A step towards a regenerative bioeconomy

Marine algal biofuel is considered a promising solution for energy and environmental challenges. Macroalgal biomass has the potential for bypassing the shortcoming of first and second generation of biomass from food crop and lignocellulosic sources. In this review, we summarize the findings in this domain in the past two decades with a focus on the process of saccharification and fermentation of macroalgae for transportation biofuels. In general, macroalgae contains high levels of carbohydrates, almost no or comparatively less lignin than in terrestrial plants, which makes it a very promising source for liquid biofuel production via bioconversion. After harvest, macroalgal biomass goes through several process units, including pre-treatment and/or saccharification and fermentation to be converted to biofuel, e.g., bioethanol. We also propose strategies for further studies to realize macroalgae biomass potential for transportation bioenergy production.

Macroalgae (seaweed) for liquid transportation biofuel production: what is next?

Carbon footprint of seaweed as a biofuel

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Carbon footprint of seaweed as a biofuel