MACROSEA - A KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM FOR INDUSTRIAL MACROALGAE CULTIVATION

Cultivation of the oceans is required to meet demands for food, feed, materials and energy for a growing global population. Norway, with one of the world's longest tempered and productive coastlines, can take a leading role. With MACROSEA (2016-2019), Norway has created an interdisciplinary knowledge platform on macroalgae production biology and technology, to make significant steps towards industrial cultivation.

MACROSEA has contributed to systematic research and delivered generic knowledge on seedling quality, sea cultivation, and genetics of selected brown and red macroalgae species. Models of brown and red species have been developed and coupled to 3D hydrodynamic-ecosystem models to estimate site-dependent biomass production. Methods for efficient seedling, deployment and harvest have been assessed and drag forces and deformation of different farm systems determined at different sea states by using numerical tools.The results will contribute to predictable production of biomass and development of enabling technologies for industrial macroalgae cultivation in Norway.

The results from MACROSEA have created additional value through outreach to society about the possibility of using macroalgae as renewable marine resources when moving from today's fossil-based to a low-carbon society, created meeting places and established new networks which have resulted in a range of spin-off projects along the macroalgae value chain.

MACROSEA was funded by the Research council of Norway.            

Illustration of project

 

 

Our research

WP1: Seedling Biology (SINTEF Ocean, NTNU, UiO, Aarhus University, Industry partners)

In MACROSEA the seedlings production protocols for sugar kelp Saccharina latissima, winged kelp Alaria esculenta and dulse Palmaria palmata have been improved to enable upscaled cultivation.

WP2: Sea Cultivation (NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, APN, NIVA, UiT, Industry partners)

The variation in growth performance, biochemical composition and biofouling of cultivated S. latissima is mainly caused by seasonality and depth, varying systematically along a latitudinal gradient.

WP3: Genetics and Disease (UiB, SAMS, IOCAS)

Sugar kelp is one of the most relevant species for cultivation in Norway, and a main object of MACROSEA was to examine genetic diversity and adaptation of sugar kelp along the coast.

WP4: Marine modelling (SINTEF Ocean, Clarkson University)

Maps of the potential for sugar kelp production along and outside the coat of Norway have been developed based on simulation results from the physical-biological ocean model system SINMOD coupled with a growth model for sugar kelp.

WP5: Seedling, deployment and harvest technology (SINTEF Ocean, Industry partners)

Existing processes and methods for seedling production and seeding of substrates have been reviewed with regard to industrial scale production.

WP6: Sea Farms (SINTEF Ocean)

The work package will develop tools for design of seaweed farms. Drag forces and deformation of farm systems at different sea states will be determined using towing experiments with live seaweeds at sea and artificial surrogates in lab.

Videos

Laboratory work with seaweed at SINTEF Sealab
Laboratory work with seaweed at SINTEF Sealab
Making use of the ocean resources
Making use of the ocean resources
Cultivation of seaweed at the island of Frøya
Cultivation of seaweed at the island of Frøya
Standardized production of kelp
Standardized production of kelp
Seaweed Cultivation Activities at SINTEF Ocean
Seaweed Cultivation Activities at SINTEF Ocean