A new study has found that manipulating microscopic life on seaweed can hold the key to successful large scale seaweed farming.
The new research was conducted by a team of scientists from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and was published in the journal Green Carbon.
The study has the potential to address one of the major hurdles facing large-scale seaweed farming. Attempts to develop the industry are often hampered by a range of environmental factors such as pathogens, diseases and infections, and the difficulty in supplying the seaweed with enough nutrients.
The study found that by manipulating the microscopic environment surrounding the seaweeds, we can overcome many of these major limitations to large industrial seaweed farming, as well as boost the health and productivity of these farms.
According to the study’s corresponding author, Yongyu Zhang:
“A diverse community of microbes live on seaweed, much like probiotics for seaweed – specific microbes can protect seaweed from diseases, provide essential nutrients, and help them thrive in challenging conditions. This is particularly important as our previous study has shown that rising ocean temperatures and acidification will likely increase seaweed pathogenic diseases.”
Zhang further added:
“Microbial solutions must be deployed for sustainable macroalgae farming. By harnessing the power of beneficial microbes, farmers could potentially create more stable and productive seaweed farms, making large-scale ocean farming more feasible than ever before.”
On the other hand, the study’s first author Shailesh Nair said:
“Early life stages of seaweeds, being more susceptible to microbial colonization, present a critical window for establishing beneficial microbes that might persist throughout the seaweed’s life cycle. Some seaweeds can even pass these beneficial microbes to their offspring, suggesting potential long-term benefits across generations.”
You can find the original research in Green Carbon here.
