Cited by 767Marine and coastal plant biologySeaweed-derived Bioactive CompoundsAlgal biology and biofuel production

Seaweed production: overview of the global state of exploitation, farming and emerging research activity.

Open access
Buschmann, Alejandro H., Camus, Carolina, Infante, Javier, Neori, Amir, Israel, Álvaro, Hernández-González, María C., Pereda, Sandra V., Gomez-Pinchetti, Juan Luis +3 more·2017·European Journal of Phycology

Abstract

The use of seaweeds has a long history, as does the cultivation of a select and relatively small group of species. This review presents several aspects of seaweed production, such as an update on the volumes of seaweeds produced globally by both extraction from natural beds and cultivation. We discuss uses, production trends and economic analysis. We also focus on what is viewed as the huge potential for growing industrial-scale volumes of seaweeds to provide sufficient, sustainable biomass to be processed into a multitude of products to benefit humankind. The biorefinery approach is proposed as a sustainable strategy to achieve this goal. There are many different technologies available to produce seaweed, but optimization and more efficient developments are still required. We conclude that there are some fundamental and very significant hurdles yet to overcome in order to achieve the potential contributions that seaweed cultivation may provide the world. There are critical aspects, such as improving the value of seaweed biomass, along with a proper consideration of the ecosystem services that seaweed farming can provide, e.g. a reduction in coastal nutrient loads. Additional considerations are environmental risks associated with climate change, pathogens, epibionts and grazers, as well as the preservation of the genetic diversity of cultivated seaweeds. Importantly, we provide an outline for future needs in the anticipation that phycologists around the world will rise to the challenge, such that the potential to be derived from seaweed biomass becomes a reality.

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Crossref · 10.1080/09670262.2017.1365175

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  • Most of the current sea-based seaweed cultivation systems in the world are located in coastal areas and shallow oceans.

    “Most of the current sea-based seaweed cultivation systems in the world are located in coastal areas and shallow oceans (Buschmann et al., 2017).”
  • Several additional challenges need to be solved: control of pests, diseases, genetic contamination, selection of strains, fundamental knowledge on different aspects of seaweed biology and physiology, threats from climate change and herbivory, and an understanding of the impact of aquaculture in the surrounding ecosystems.

    “Several additional challenges also need to be solved: control of pests, diseases, genetic contamination, selection of strains, fundamental knowledge on different aspects of seaweed biology and physiology, threats from climate change and herbivory as well as an understanding of the impact of aquaculture in the surrounding ecosystems (Buschmann et al., 2017; Stévant et al., 2017; Campbell et al., 20”

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Anis, M., Ahmed, S. & Hasan, M. (2017). Algae as nutri- tion, medicine and cosmetic: the forgotten history, pre- sent status and future trend. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6: 1934-1959.
  2. Himaya, S.W.A. & Kim, S.-K. (2015). Marine nutraceuti- cals. In Handbook of Marine Biotechnology (Kim, S.-K., editor), 995-1014. Springer, Berlin.
  3. Iersel, S. Van & Flammini, A. (2010). Algae-based Biofuels: Applications and Co-products. FAO Aquatic Biofuels Working Group Review. FAO.
  4. Levine, I. (2016). Algae: a way of life and health. In Seaweed in Health and Disease Prevention (Fleurence, J. & Levine, I. A., editors), 1-5. Elsevier Academic Press, London.
  5. Neori, A., Tadmor Shalev, N. & Agami, M. (2016). Seaweed aquaculture as a match for agriculture. In 22nd International Seaweed Symposium, Copenhagen.
  6. Tinch, R. & Mathieu, L. (2011). Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services: Valuation Methods and their Practical Application. Regional Seas UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series, Cambridge.

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Authors
Buschmann, A. H., Camus, C., Infante, J., Neori, A., Israel, Á., Hernández-González, M. C., Pereda, S. V., Gomez-Pinchetti, J. L., Golberg, A., Tadmor-Shalev, N., & Critchley, A. T.
Affiliations
  • Universidad de Los Lagos (CL)
  • Patagonia Seaweed SpA, Los Ulmos de Molino Viejo 124, Puerto Varas, Chile
  • Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES)
  • Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, Ltd. The National Institute of Oceanography. Tel Shikmona 8030, Haifa 31080, Israel
  • Spanish Bank of Algae, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Muelle de Taliarte s/n, 35214 Telde, Canary Islands, Spain
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
  • Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, Ltd., National Center for Mariculture, P.O.B. 1212, Eilat 88112, Israel
  • Private Phycologist, 10288, Hwy 1, Evangeline Trail, Paradise, Nova Scotia, Canada
Corresponding author
Buschmann, Alejandro H.
Venue
European Journal of Phycology
Published
2017-10-02
Volume
52
Issue
4
Pages
391-406
ISSN
  • 0967-0262 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-4433
OpenAlex
W2761880702
Cited by
767
References
132
Citations by year
2026: 88 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 97 · 2023: 102 · 2022: 126 · 2021: 95 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 3
FWCI
31.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • European Journal of Phycology (publishedVersion)
  • Acceda (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • BARD (US 459913 R)
  • Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FB-001,FONDECYT 1150978)
  • Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources (xx)
  • Ministry of Science, Technology and Space (xx)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal plant biology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
Keywords
seaweed cultivation, seaweed harvesting, seaweed biomass, biorefinery, ecosystem services, climate change impacts, genetic diversity

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