Skip to main content

General principles of on-shore cultivation of seaweeds: effects of light on production

  • Conference paper
  • 270 Accesses

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 68))

Abstract

Numerous species of seaweed have been successfully cultivated in the sea for commercial purposes. Although considerable experimental work has been done on on-shore cultivation systems, none of these has yet proved to be economically viable on a sustained basis; nevertheless, such cultivation systems offer the potential for productivities greater than can be achieved in other systems. In on-shore systems, factors other than light can be controlled and provided at saturation levels. As density of biomass is controllable, all the light entering the cultivation system is absorbed. This results in efficient conversion of light energy to biomass when only light is limiting; moreover, density, rather than growth rate, is the major factor determining productivity. As growth of seaweeds in on-shore systems is only vegetative, there is no interruption for reproduction or maturation of the plants, and all of the net production can be recovered. Seaweeds have, though, relatively low percentage carbon composition, compared with terrestrial plants, and this may result in apparent high productivities based on dry matter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bidwell, R. G. S., N. D. H. Lloyd & J. McLachlan, 1984. The performance of Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) in laboratory simulations of environments in different locations. Proc. int. Seaweed Symp. 11: 292–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bidwell, R. G. S. & J. McLachlan, 1985. Carbon nutrition of seaweeds: photosynthesis, respiration and photorespiration. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 86: 15–46.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bidwell, R. G. S., J. McLachlan & N. D. H. Lloyd, 1985. Tank cultivation of Irish moss, Chondrus crispus Stackh. Bot. mar. 28: 87–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bugbee, B. G. & F. B. Salisbury, 1988. Exploring the limits of crop productivity. I. Photosynthetic efficiency of wheat in high irradiance environments. Pl. Physiol. 88: 869–878.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. W. & T. Aarup, 1989. Photosynthetically available radiation at high latitudes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34: 1490–1499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charles-Edwards, D. A., D. Doley & G. M. Rimmington, 1986. Modelling Plant Growth and Development. Academic Press, New York, 235 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craigie, J. S., 1989. Irish moss cultivation: some reflections. In Yarish C., C. A. Penniman & P. van Patten (eds). Economically Important Plants of the Atlantic: Their Biology and Cultivation. Connecticut Sea Grant Program, Marine Science Institute, University of Connecticut, Groton CT, 37–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craigie, J. S. & P. F. Shacklock, 1989. Culture of Irish moss. In Boghen A. D. (ed.). Cold-water Aquaculture in Atlantic Canada, The Canadian Institute of Research and Regional Development, Moncton NB, 243–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deveau, L., 1989. cultivation of Chondrus crispus. XII’th Int. Seaweed Symp. Vancouver, BC. (Abstracts TB5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Doty, M. S., 1987. The production and use of Eucheuma. In Doty M. S., J. F. Caddy & B. Santelices (eds). Case studies of seven commercial seaweed resources. FAO Technical Paper 281, Rome: 123–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drew, K. M., 1949. Conchocelis-phase in the life history of Porphyra umbdicalis (L.) Kütz. Nature London 164: 748.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enright, C. T. & J. S. Craigie, 1981. Effects of temperature and irradiance on growth and respiration of Chondrus crispus Stackh. Proc. int. Seaweed Symp. 10: 271–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khailov, K. M. & YuG. Kamenir, 1988. Photoassimilation surface of plants and its correlation with the respiratory surface of animals in size rows. J. gen. Biol. 49: 844–853 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Khailov, K. M. & V. A. Silkin, 1986. Ecological classification of aquaculture bioproductive systems with respect to their aquaculture quality. J. gen. Biol. 47: 769–779 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, J. T. O., 1983. Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 401 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Littler, M. M. & D. S. Littler, 1980. The evolution of thallus form and survival strategies in benthic marine macroalgae: Field and laboratory tests of a functional form model. Am. Nat. 116: 25–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, N. D. H., J. L. McLachlan & R. G. S. Bidwell, 1981. A rapid infra-red carbon-dioxide analysis screening technique for predicting growth and productivities of marine algae. Proc. int. Seaweed Symp. 10: 461–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHugh, D. J. ed., 1987. Production and utilization of products from commercial seaweeds. FAO Tech. Paper 288, Rome 189 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHugh, D. J., 1991. Worldwide distribution of commercial resources of seaweeds including Gelidium. Hydrobiologia 221: 19–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, J., 1973. Growth media-marine. In Stein J. R. (ed). Handbook of Phycological Methods: Culture Methods and Growth Measurements. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge: 25–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, J., 1985. Microalgae (seeweeds): industrial resources and their utilization. Plant & Soil 89: 137–157.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, J., R. G. S. Bidwell, R. G. Smith & C. M. Moseley, 1986. Cultivation strategies for seaweeds. In Westermeir R. (ed.) Actas II Congr. Nacional sobre Algas Marinas Chilenas. Univ. Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile, 47–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, J. M., 1984. Modelling environmental effects on crop productivity. In Pearson C. J. (ed.) Control of crop productivity. Academic Press, New York: 289–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss, J. M., 1978. Essential considerations for establishing seaweed extraction factories. In Krauss R. W. (ed.). The Marine Plant Biomass of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Oregon State Univ. Press, Corvallis, OR: 301–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, S. L. & K. Sand-Jensen, 1990. Allometric scaling of maximal photosynthetic growth rate to surface/volume ratio. Limnol Oceanogr. 35: 177–181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neish, A. C., P. F. Shacklock, C. H. Fox & D. R. Robson, 1978. The cultivation of Chondrus crispus. Factors affecting growth under greenhouse conditions. Can. J. Bot. 55: 2263–2271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryther, J. H., J. A. DeBoer & B. E. Lapointe, 1979. Cultivation of seaweeds of hydrocolloids, waste treatment and biomass for energy. Proc. int. Seaweed Symp. 9: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santelices, B. & R. Ugarte, 1990. Ecological differences among Chilean populations of commercial Gracilaria. J. appl. Phycol. 2: 17–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber, 1927. Die Reinkultur von marinen Phytoplankton and deren Bedeutung für die Erforschung de Produktionsfähigkeit des Meerwassers. Wiss. Meeresuntersuch. N.F. 16: 1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornley, J. H. M., 1990. A new formulation of the logistic growth equation and its application to leaf area growth. Ann. Bot. 66: 309–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, W. N. 1988. Algal productivity and hydrodynamics - a synthesis. Progr. Phycol. Res. 6: 23–58.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J. N., 1952. Forward. Proc. int. Seaweed Symp. 1: iv.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

J. A. Juanes B. Santelices J. L. McLachlan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this paper

Cite this paper

McLachlan, J.L. (1991). General principles of on-shore cultivation of seaweeds: effects of light on production. In: Juanes, J.A., Santelices, B., McLachlan, J.L. (eds) International Workshop on Gelidium . Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 68. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3610-5_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3610-5_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5601-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3610-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics