Sea Cultivation

From Phyco.org

This article tells about research on growing marine algae at sea, and how that algae may be used to make fuel.

Harvesting algae at sea appears to be difficult. Consequently, growing algae at sea has mainly focused on either carbon sequestration or fishery enhancement.

Phytoplankton (algae) are the bottom of the marine food chain. Zooplankton (tiny marine animals) feed upon phytoplankton and larger marine animals feed on zooplankton. The many species of phytoplankton and zooplankton contain various amounts of oil.

Marine fisheries exist where nutrients are abundant; these include upwellings and a variety of habitats near land. Upwellings recycle nutrients from Deep Ocean Water (DOW) that is moved to the surface by ocean currents. Nutrients are added to the seas by rivers and streams.

It may be possible to grow algae monoculture at sea, because deep equatorial waters are marine deserts, with so few nutrients that almost nothing grows. To grow algae in a marine desert requires adding nutrients. Two sources of nutrients may be used: from DOW and land.

Fisheries at natural upwellings provide up to half of the annual marine fish catch, yet these upwellings are only about 1% of the ocean surface area. These natural upwellings and other coastal areas provide food for the vast majority of marine life, but are only 10% of the ocean surface. Consequently, about 90% of the ocean surface is desert.

Hurricanes never occur in equatorial waters; though, it rains frequently had heavily. Moreover, the sun shines more brightly along the equator than anywhere else on earth. Thus, equatorial deserts are ideal locations for marine farming.