Volume 77
Catch and Store: How Sargassum Aquafarms can Flatten the Feedstock Fluctuation
Authors
Franziska Elmer, Tremaine Bowman, Nicolas Schwehm, Joshua Gooding, Makeda Corbin, Katherina Paetz, Jasmin Behnke, and Mar Fernández Méndez Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2024
Event: Proceedings of the Seventy-Seventh Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Gosier
Country: Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Abstract
The valorization of Sargassum offers a solution to mitigate its negative impacts on Caribbean communities, but its effectiveness hinges on the freshness of the seaweed. Unfortunately, a significant portion of collected Sargassum either isn't fresh upon collection or isn't transported to valorization facilities promptly, resulting in much of it ending up in landfills. Moreover, valorization companies struggle with the unpredictability and variability of Sargassum arrival (Desrochers et al. 2020), making it challenging to secure large off-take contracts. Sargassum aquafarming presents a potential solution by providing a more stable supply. Firstly, on high influx days, excess Sargassum can be stored in the aquafarm and transferred to valorization companies on low influx days. Secondly, biomass can be grown in the non-Sargassum season.