An economic appraisal for the onshore cultivation of Laminaria spp.
In: Hydrobiologia. Springer: The Hague. ISSN 0018-8158; e-ISSN 1573-5117, more
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| Keywords |
Laminaria J.V. Lamouroux, 1813 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
seaweed kelp Laminaria spp. cultivation primary production coastal protection economic analysis |
| Abstract |
The present production capacities of natural seaweed stocks and the need to develop monoculture techniques for selected species of macroalgae have been reviewed earlier (Boalch, 1980; Jacques et al., 1980; Wise, 1981). The basic structural option to accommodate the seaweed lies between an offshore or onshore facility. In this paper we describe the most promising coastal structure, and analyze the commercial maturity of such structures. Two main themes are developed: what are the possible economic and environmental advantages of such a cultivation for a country such as Belgium? And can one draw on research into the extraction of methane gas from such algae using anaerobic digestion? We also touch upon the possibilities for electricity production from biomass, and draw conclusions as to the economic justification of such projects: are they a viable alternative to traditional beach collection of natural seaweed stands? |
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