The BioMara Project

Michele Stanley, Kyla Orr, Lars

Brunner, Peter Schiener

SAMS Coordination Centre:

Scottish Association for Marine

Science, Oban, Scotland

T: +44 (0)1631 559000

F: +44 (0)1631 559001

E: biomara@sams.ac.uk

W: www.biomara.org

BioMara Partner details

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F: +44 (

E: biomara@sams.ac.uk

W: www.biomara.org

Project supported by the INTERREG IVA

Programme Managed by SEUPB

Introduction

Scottish Association for Marine

Science

Sustainable fuels from marine

biogas

EU Parliament – “10% transport

fuel from renewable sources by

2020”

BioMara Overview

Kelp aquaculture? Subtidal kelp?

Seaweed fermented to make bioethanol

or

anaerobically digested to make biogas (methane)

447 TJ of energy to be generated from macroalgae by 2020.

~0.2% of current national road-fuel demands.

ttp://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Fucophyceae/LAMINA

RIA/Laminaria_Image_page.htm

Beach-cast kelp?

(wrack)

Sources of seaweed for biofuels

Study Area West coast of the Uists, Islands of

the Outer Hebrides, Scotland

More than 12 miles of beaches

with varying loads of beach-cast seaweed

The Outer Hebrides:

Fuel in Context

Information taken from : Outer Hebrides Housing Strategy, 2011-2016,

- Highest poverty rates in Scotland

-31% of households are in extreme fuel

poverty

-No mains gas supply to heat houses

Houses required to use more costly fuels

(coal, peat, wood, electricity)

-Highest per capita residential (CO2)

emissions in Scotland

-Exceptionally high petrol and diesel

prices (e.g 40p per litre greater than

mainland)

What is the bioenergy potential?

TOTAL biomass of beach cast estimated in

the entire Outer Hebrides:

210 000 tons/year (Walker 1954)1

= 4.62 x 106m3 methane

- enough methane to heat 2874 houses

(24% of total households)

- Equivalent to ~ 5 000 000 liters petrol

Where: 2One wet ton of seaweed yields 22 m3 of methane with a gross calorific value of 39.8 MJ/m.

3One m3 biogas is equivalent to 1.1 liters petrol2

Example of beach cast kelp washed ashore after

storms, November 2011, North Uist, Scotland

Walker, F. T. (1954). "Distribution of Laminariaceae around Scotland." Journal du Conseil 20(2): 160-166. 2Bruton, T., H. Lyons, et al. (2009). A Review of the

Potential of Marine Algae as a Source of Biofuel in Ireland, Sustainable Energy Ireland., 3http://www.balticbiogasbus.eu/web/about-biogas.aspx

http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack/bird-recording/by-migration-season/seasonal-movements

The Uists is of national

importance to:

-overwintering waders (e.g.

Turnstone)

-breeding waders (e.g.

Dunlin)

- Important stop-over and

feeding site for migrating birds

in autumn and spring Migration patterns of two

populations of Turnstone

The Outer Hebrides: Environmental Context

Collection of field data for the model

Ecopath requires input of biomass

data in g/m2/year

• Field studied were conducted

over a 1 year period

• Wrack biomass determined and

bird counts conducted every 6

weeks

• Macroafauna abundance

assessed every 3 months

Model domain:

MLW-HWS

300m length of shore

Results: The food web

Flow diagram generated in Ecopath showing trophic links

between groups. Nodes are proportional to biomass.

Note: benthic diatom biomass were estimate from the literature

Results: The food web

Average biomass of key prey items on modelled beaches

Group Biomass kg/m1/year Total biomass in model

area* (tons)

Diptera (>90% larvae) 4.6 1.4

Detritivorous polychaetes 5.3 1.6

Oligochaetes 4.0 1.2

Kelp Wrack 3229 966

*300m length of beach, width = 130m

Note: This is not the input of kelp wrack per year, it is the average

standing biomass on the beach at any one time

4

3

2

1

Birds

Capitellidae

Spionidae

Staphylinidae

Hydrophylidae

Talitridae

Diptera Larvae

Enchytraeid

Fresh cast kelpDecaying seaweed - HWS Detritus POC - sediment

Theoretical flow diagram showing

trophic linkages on a beach with

storm-cast seaweed

•Fresh seaweed decays.

•Grazers move in when bacteria

levels are high enough.

•Most species feed on the decaying

seaweed at HWS.

•Unconsumed seaweed are

incorporated into sediment and water

column as detritus (POC).

•POC is important for deposit feeding

polychaetes at LWL.

•On beaches with seaweed birds

exploit two food resources

•1) polychaetes at the LW line

•2) invertebrates in seaweed at HW

line.

•This allows them to feed throughout

the day rather than just at low tide –

likely an important strategy for pre-

migratory fattening of birds.

Site selection is everything- also how much

you remove and when

Results: Ecosim

Example of dynamic simulation generated in Ecosim in which 99%

of the biomass of kelp wrack was harvested continuously

Worst case scenario: All kelp wrack removed

Gulls

Waders

Results: Ecosim

Example of dynamic simulation generated in Ecosim in which 50% of the

biomass of kelp wrack was harvested for 10 years, and then harvesting ceased

Stop

harvest Start

harvest Invertebrate groups

recover to original

biomass within 2

years, but bird

populations take

much longer to

recover Waders

Gulls

Carnivorous

beetles

Results: harvesting intensities

0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1

1,2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Rela

tive

Bio

ma

ss

% Kelp wrack harvested

Gulls

Waders

Detritivores

Relative biomass of selected functional groups at different

harvesting intensities of kelp wrack. Relative biomass is taken

after 10 years of harvesting.

Results: recovery time

Time taken for gulls and waders to recover to 95% of their

original biomass after harvesting wrack at different intensities.

The harvesting period was 10 years, after which harvesting

ceased.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Reco

very

tim

e (

years

)

% Wrack biomass harvested from beach for 10 years

Gulls

Waders

• 10% biomass harvested

for rotational cycles;

-1year harvest

-1 year recovery

Minimum impact scenario:

Waders; biomass maintained at > 90%

Example of dynamic simulation generated in Ecosim in

which 10% of the biomass of kelp wrack was harvested

in rotational cycles of 1 year harvest, 1 year recovery

1Walker, F. T. (1954). "Distribution of Laminariaceae around Scotland." Journal du Conseil 20(2): 160-166. 2Bruton, T., H. Lyons, et al. (2009). A Review of the

Potential of Marine Algae as a Source of Biofuel in Ireland, Sustainable Energy Ireland., 3http://www.balticbiogasbus.eu/web/about-biogas.aspx

Can model results be extended to entire Outer Hebrides?

TOTAL biomass of beach cast estimated in the entire Outer Hebrides

= 210 000 tons/year (Walker 1954)1

10% Total= 21 000 tons/year

= 642 000 m3methane/year

= 500 000 liters petrol (equivalent)

Where: 2One wet ton of seaweed yields 22 m3 of methane with a gross calorific value of 39.8 MJ/m3.

3One m3 biogas is equivalent to 1.1 liters petrol2

? Can the model actually predict

harvestable biomass?

How much fuel?- Basic estimates…

Tiny plants 2mm

seeded to string

3 months

Each plant at harvest,

6 – 8 months later, 1- 2m

Seaweed culture established in Scotland since 2004

Seaweed Cultivation • Like any form of agriculture there will be variation between

years

• Strings seeded in November with S. polyschide, S. latissima

and A. esculenta.

• Longlines place out at Loch Beag 2010

• Site examination carried out in early May

• Growth of all three species was observed, S. polyschides

displayed slower growth than S. latissima or A. esculenta.

• Several lines had dense growth of Ectocarpus sp.

• Only one section of long-line covered may imply that it was a

locally sourced growth and not introduced at hatchery stage.

• All three species were harvested at the end of June

2011

Loch Etive

Loch Melfort

January 2012

June 2012

Cautionary notes on biomass

estimation • Inconsistencies exist when

describing biomass and productivity

• For example: biomass referred to in kg/ha with no reference to how many longline structure per hectare

• Wet, dry, sun dry weight?

• Need for standardisation- should include – Seawater temperature,

Photosyntheically Active Radiation (PAR), Salinity, Current speed, seawater nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and phosphate).

IMTA?

Fish Farm/Mussels?

Macroalgae

Bioremediation

Bioplastics

Protein

Bioenergy

Bioremediation

- Palmaria palmata (growth rate 48% and biomass 63%)

- S. latissima (growth rate 61% and biomass 27%)

Placement of seaweed- nitrogen content increased to as you got closer to

the fish cages

Potential to remove 5% to 12% of waste nitrogen from 500 tonnes salmon

farm over 2 yrs

(ref. Sanderson et al (2012) Aquaculture)

Fuel- Bioethanol

When to harvest?

Which seaweed?

Is pre-treatment required?

How to saccharify biomass?

What to do with

the waste?

How to ferment?

What are the

yields?

Seaweed as a fermentation substrate

Evaluation over

one season:

1. L. digitata

2. L. hyperborea

3. S. latissima

Evaluation over a

quarter:

1. A. esculenta

2. F. serratus

3. F. vesiculosis

4. A. nodosum

5. S.

polyschides

Seaweed compounds of

interest

Value to fermentation

Ash/ minerals micronutrients

Carbohydrates macronutrient (C-source)

Proteins macronutrient (N-source)

Polyphenols none - inhibitive

Seaweed as a Fermentation

Substrate

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

08-2010 10-2010 12-2010 02-2011 04-2011 06-2011 08-2011 10-2011

Ch

em

ica

l co

mp

osi

tio

n

Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of Laminaria hyperborea

Ash Alginic acid Glucans Mannitol Polyphenols Protein

Best

harvest

times

Best

harvest

times

aug-10 nov-10 feb-11 jun-11 sep-11 dec-11

S.latissima L.hyperborea A.esculenta

Seasonality shift Species shift

Key messages:

1. Seasonality influences yields

2. Extension of harvesting period possible by cultivating

different species

3. No monoculture

Seasonality

shift

Saccharification

Saccharification

When harvested

at peak season -

gap closes to

maximum yields

Key message:

52

72

14 10 10 15

40

48

65

76

46 44 43

46

60 63

% e

ffic

ien

cy

Comparison of dilute acid and enzyme hydrolysis against concentrated acid

hydrolysis using Laminaria hyperborea

Dilute acid Enzymesconcentrated acid

Laminaria hyperborea

Hexoses Glucose, Galactose

Rhamnose, Fucose, Mannose, Mannitol

Pentoses Xylose, Arabinose

Uronic acids

Mannuronic acid, Guluronic acid

Hexoses

~20-60%

Pentoses

~1-5%

Uronic acids

~20-30%

Substrate

Hexoses Glucose,

Galactose

Rhamnose, Fucose, Mannose,

Mannitol

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Substrates: Glucose, Mannose, Galactose*, others

High YEtOH ~ 86%

Ethanol yields from seaweeds**:

% yields(max) L.hyperborea L.digitata S.latissima A.esculenta

Bioethanol

(l/t(seaweed)

~ 35 ~ 27 ~ 25 ~ 25

* Slow fermentation; ** based on lab results, assuming 85% moisture content of seaweed

and 100% recovery rates

Pichia angophorae • Substrates: Glucose, Mannose, Mannitol, others

• Potential for +60% higher EtOH yields

• no ind. strain for high strength ethanol production

• Highest EtOH production in lab: ~25 g/l, YEtOH (~47%)

Hexoses Glucose,

Galactose

Rhamnose, Fucose, Mannose,

Mannitol

Uronic acids

Mannuronic acid, Guluronic acid

Sphingomonas sp. A1 H.,Takeda et

al. 2011

Substrates: Uronic acids, glucose, others

Ethanol yields *:

0.26 kg EtOH/ kg alginate

~20 l EtOH/ t seaweed (calculated for alginate

only)

*

E. coli A.J., Wargacki et al 2012

Substrates: Uronic acids, glucose, others

Ethanol yields **:

0.281 kg EtOH/ kg d.m.

~54 l EtOH/ t seaweed

* Assuming 40% alginate and 85% moisture content in seaweed, ** assuming 85% moisture content

Key Questions • Identify the key environmental factors

influencing yield and biochemical composition.

• Site selection.

• Develop life cycle assessment capability

including carbon balance and sustainability

information suitable for aquatic and marine

systems.

• Assess the potential for algal diseases to

affect both cultivated algae and wild stocks.

• Identify the role of algae in carbon and nutrient

cycling.

• Identify to what extent algal farms attract or

repel marine mammals.

• Understand to what extent algal cultivation

affects biodiversity in the farm, the water

column and benthic environment.

Project supported by the INTERREG IVA Programme

Managed by SEUPB

• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)

• Centre for Sustainable Technologies, University of Ulster

• Centre for Renewable Energy, Dundalk Institute of

Technology (CREDIT)

• Sligo Institute of Technology

• Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde

• QUESTOR, a cross-border centre co-ordinated by The

Queen’s University, Belfast

Partners

Funders

Coordination Centre:

Scottish Association for Marine

Science, Oban, Scotland

T: +44 (0)1631 559000

F: +44 (0)1631 559001

E: biomara@sams.ac.uk

W: www.biomara.org

Thank you