Journal article
Removing constraints on the biomass production of freshwater macroalgae by manipulating water exchange to manage nutrient flux
PLoS One, Vol.9(7), e101284
2014
Abstract
Freshwater macroalgae represent a largely overlooked group of phototrophic organisms that could play an important role within an industrial ecology context in both utilising waste nutrients and water and supplying biomass for animal feeds and renewable chemicals and fuels. This study used water from the intensive aquaculture of freshwater fish (Barramundi) to examine how the biomass production rate and protein content of the freshwater macroalga Oedogonium responds to increasing the flux of nutrients and carbon, by either increasing water exchange rates or through the addition of supplementary nitrogen and CO2. Biomass production rates were highest at low flow rates (0.1-1 vol.day-1) using raw pond water. The addition of CO2 to cultures increased biomass production rates by between 2 and 25% with this effect strongest at low water exchange rates. Paradoxically, the addition of nitrogen to cultures decreased productivity, especially at low water exchange rates. The optimal culture of Oedogonium occurred at flow rates of between 0.5-1 vol.day-1, where uptake rates peaked at 1.09 g.m-2. day-1 for nitrogen and 0.13 g.m-2.day-1 for phosphorous. At these flow rates Oedogonium biomass had uptake efficiencies of 75.2% for nitrogen and 22.1% for phosphorous. In this study a nitrogen flux of 1.45 g.m-2.day-1 and a phosphorous flux of 0.6 g.m -2.day-1 was the minimum required to maintain the growth of Oedogonium at 16-17 g DW.m-2.day-1 and a crude protein content of 25%. A simple model of minimum inputs shows that for every gram of dry weight biomass production (g DW.m-2.day-1), Oedogonium requires 0.09 g.m-2.day-1 of nitrogen and 0.04 g.m -2.day-1 of phosphorous to maintain growth without nutrient limitation whilst simultaneously maintaining a high-nutrient uptake rate and efficiency. As such the integrated culture of freshwater macroalgae with aquaculture for the purposes of nutrient recovery is a feasible solution for the bioremediation of wastewater and the supply of a protein resource. © 2014 Cole et al.
Details
- Title
- Removing constraints on the biomass production of freshwater macroalgae by manipulating water exchange to manage nutrient flux
- Authors
- A J Cole (Author) - James Cook UniversityR De Nys (Author) - James Cook UniversityNicholas A Paul (Author) - James Cook University
- Publication details
- PLoS One, Vol.9(7), e101284; 9
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Date published
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0101284
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2014 Cole et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450447102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Marine & Freshwater Biology
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