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Heather Sommers
Molluscan Aquaculture
April 25th, 2007
Overview
What is Algae
Basics
Types
Importance
Making algae into a fuel source
Biodiesel
History
Hydrogen
History
Biomass
How to Culture
What is Algae?
Algae
Simple plant
Most live in water
Photosynthetic
Capture light energy
Convert inorganic to organic matter
Nonvascular
Use lipids and oils to help float in water
Range from small, single-celled species to complex
multicellular species, such as the giant kelps
Types
Red Algae Diatoms
Benthic Single celled
Macro Silica cell wall
Green Algae Blue Green Algae
Chlorophyll a and b Vertical migration
Plants Fix N2 from air
Freshwater Freshwater
Brown Algae Dinoflagellates
Benthic Toxic; suck out O2
Macro Cause red tides
Kelp Organic matter
Marine
Background
Location
Most habitats
How many
Over 36,000 species
How does it feed?
Photosynthesis
All have chlorophyll
Uses
food, fertilizer, foodstock, pharmaceutical, pollution
control, water treatment, dyes, agar, Fuels
Biodiesel History
Corn . . . . . . . 15
Soybeans . . . .48
Safflower. . . . . 83
Sunflower . . . 102
Rapeseed. . . 127
Hydrogen
Algae can be grown to produce hydrogen
Discovered first in 1939 by Hans Gaffrom
Late 1990’s it was found that if sulfur deprived,
algae will produce hydrogen
Biomass
Algae can be grown to produce biomass
Burned to produce heat and electricity
Can still produce greenhouse gases
Biomass Yield
Metric Tons per Hectare per Year
Websites:
http://www.ecology.com/dr-jacks-natural-world/most-important-organism/index.html
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield.html