Advancement in Red Seaweed Farming: New Method for Large-Scale Cultivation Discovered

The Fisheries Research Institute has made a significant breakthrough in the livestock industry with the development of a technique for mass producing tetrasporophytes of the red sea plume seaweed. This type of seaweed, known for its bromide-rich content, could significantly reduce methane emissions from ruminants.

The technique, designed to purify aquaculture environments, inhibits or removes competing rough algae, ensuring the dominant ratio of red sea plume. This is particularly important as rough algae prevent red sea plume from proliferating.

The institute's research has focused on mass producing tetrasporophytes of red sea plume, which are small, threadlike, and difficult to discern and collect in the wild. Tetrasporophytes contain higher levels of bromides than gametophytes, making them more effective in reducing methane emissions.

In vitro rumen fermentation data shows that institute-cultivated red sea plume gametophytes inhibit 98.3% of methane, while wild gametophytes inhibit 91.24%. The inhibition rate climbs to 99.82% when the dose is raised to 1%.

The development of this technique advances low-carbon feed production technology. Adding 1% of dried red sea plume to cattle feed could reduce methane emissions by up to 90%. Animal testing has shown that methane produced by cattle burps can be reduced by 60% with only 0.15% of red sea plume incorporated into cattle feed.

This groundbreaking discovery could help the development of low-carbon dairy products. The mass production technique has been transferred to a domestic biotech company, Acadian Seaplants Limited, marking the beginning of the integration of ocean technology into the livestock industry.

Previously adopted techniques for cultivating red sea plume under artificial conditions failed during mass production. However, the new technique could boost the amount of cultivated tetrasporophytes by 300g to 700g per tonne of seawater.

In natural sea environments, about 100g of tetrasporophytes are harvested per person per day. The tetrasporophytes of red sea plume are alive year-round and easier to grow under artificial conditions compared to gametophytes.

This development comes at a time when the world is increasingly conscious of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Fisheries Research Institute's technique could play a crucial role in this global effort, not only in the livestock industry but also in the aquaculture sector, where it can purify environments and maintain the dominant ratio of red sea plume.

Advancement in Red Seaweed Farming: New Method for Large-Scale Cultivation Discovered