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Marine biorefineries, based on macroalgal (seaweed) feedstocks, could provide sustainable alternative sources of food, energy, and materials. Green macroalgae, with their unique chemical composition, can contribute to marine biorefinery systems associated with a wide range of potential products. This review discusses the challenge of developing industrially relevant and environmentally-friendly green seaweed biorefineries. First, we review potential products from green seaweeds and their co-production, the key element in an integrated biorefinery. Second, we discuss large-scale cultivation, hydrothermal treatments, fermentation, anaerobic digestion, and emerging green solvents, pulsed electric field, microwave, and ultrasound processing technologies. Finally, we analyse the main polysaccharides in green seaweeds: sulfated polysaccharides, starch, and cellulose, as products of a cascading biorefinery, with emphasis on applications and technological challenges. We provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of green seaweed as feedstock for the biorefinery, analysing opportunities and challenges in the field.

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The biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers from certain marine microbes, associated with green macroalgae Ulva sp., has attracted significant attention. The Ulva sp. is abundant biomass in numerous locations around the world and could be easily cultivated by marine farming. The variety of sugars found in Ulva sp. homogenate could be used as a carbon source for microbial growth and PHA production. In this work, we isolated and explored a series of bacterial strains that function as potential producers of P(3HB), utilizing a range of common sugars found in Ulva sp. Analysis of 16S rDNA gene-sequence revealed that the PHA-producing bacteria were phylogenetically related to species of the genus Cobetia, Bacillus, Pseudoaltermonas, and Sulfitobacter. The highest-yield of P(3HB) was observed in the case of new Cobetia strain, C. amphilecti, with up to 61% (w/w) in the presence of mannitol and 12% (w/w) on Ulva sp. acid hydrolysate as a substrate.

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