A program in Taiwan has successfully cultivated two types of native giant seaweed, or marine algae, enabling the restoration of marine habitats, the National Academy of Marine Research said on Monday.
The cultivation of the macroalgae species would ensure a stable supply of seedlings and enhance ocean carbon sinks, the academy said in a statement.
The academy, which falls under the Ocean Affairs Council, earlier this year collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute to build a farm to grow large seaweeds at the institute’s Mariculture Research Center, and developed techniques for the mass culture of native giant seaweed species, it said.
Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Marine Research
As part of the project, researchers collected 48 native large seaweed species from the ocean off southern Taiwan and moved them to tanks on land to cultivate in large amounts, the academy said.
The research team designed the tanks and improved the algae production and cultivation model — including by regulating natural light sources, using flowing water without fertilization and reducing the labor cost of harvesting algae — to provide a stable source of algae for high-value recycling, it said.
Two types of native large seaweeds, Caulerpa lentillifera, commonly known as “sea grapes,” and Gracilaria firma, were found to be suitable for mass production, the center said.
During the cultivation and mass production process, these species were found to be able to survive in unfavorable conditions such as high water temperatures and drastic changes in salinity, the center said.
After one month of cultivation, the biomass changed, and the growth rate increased by up to nine times for Caulerpa lentillifera and three times for Gracilaria firma.
The academy on July 13 delivered the mass-produced giant algae to the Fisheries Research Institute, which shipped them using its research ship to artificial algal field facilities in the Taiwan Strait for cultivation and testing.
These macroalgae would be used in research related to marine carbon sinks, as they have excellent carbon-absorption properties and can help control pollution, the center said.
They could be used in high-value industries, such as food, biomedicine, energy and environmental protection and would help promote the government’s policy of transitioning to net zero emissions by 2050 by enhancing ocean carbon sinks and benefiting marine ecosystems, the academy said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS