Application of Seaweed Cultivation to the Bioremediation of Nutrient-Rich Effluent

doi:2002.17.3.187

Algae > Volume 17(3); 2002 > Article

Algae 2002;17(3): 187-194. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/ALGAE.2002.17.3.187

Ik Kyo Chung, Yun Hee Kang, Charles Yarish, George P. Kraemer, Jin Ae Lee

Department of Marine Science, Pusan National University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Sciences, Purchase College, State University of New York, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Inje University

ABSTRACT

A seaweed biofilter/production system is being developed to reduce the environmental impact of marine fish farm effluent in coastal ecosystems as a part of an integrated aquaculture system. Several known seaweed taxa and their cultivars have been considered as candidate biofilter organisms based on their species-specific physiological properties such as nutrient uptake kinetics and their economic value. Porphyra is an excellent candidate and shows efficient nutrient extraction properties. Rates of ammonium uptake were maintained at around 3 μmoles?g?dw-1?min-1 at 150 μM inorganic nitrogen at 10℃. Ulva is another possible biofilter candidate with an uptake rate of 1.9 μmoles?g?dw-1?min-1 under same conditions. A simple uptake/growth and harvest model was applied to estimate the efficiency of the biofilter/production system. The model was deterministic and used a compartment model structure based on difference equations. The efficiency of Porpyra filter was estimated over 17% of NH₄+ removal from the continuous supply of 100 μmol?l-1 NH₄+ at 100 l?sec-1 flow rate.

Key words: ammonium uptake, biofilter, integrated aquaculture, porphyra, seaweed