Evaluation of ecosystem services provided by farmed and wild seaweeds

Abstract

Marine macroalgae provide a variety of ecosystem services in the environmental, social and economic spheres. This study presents a qualitative assessment of the ecosystem services offered by marine macroalgae (cultivated and natural populations). Furthermore, it provides a better understanding of the benefits of macroalgae cultivated in a case study (Gracilaria birdiae) in a tropical area in Brazil. For this, a literature review was carried out using articles available on the internet (Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Scielo and Google Scholar) published between 2009 and 2020, which addressed the ecosystem services associated with macroalgae. A total of 1,428 articles were analyzed, of which 163 reported some type of ecosystem service. The most registered service was regulation (30.1%), followed by provision (28.4%), support (28.0%) and cultural (13.5%). In the case study, 12 services were identified, five of which belonged to support, three to cultural, two to provision and two to regulation. Thus, both cultivated macroalgae and natural populations offer diverse ecosystem services that contribute to environmental improvement and play a positive role in the preservation and conservation of the environment and human well-being. In addition, the ecosystem services provided by macroalgae are fully aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDGs 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14, which encompass the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic).

Identifying suitable zones to Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L.M.Liao farming in densely portion of Atlantic South

“…The main final product is biogas that through combustion it is possible to generate electricity and heat, renewable natural gas and transportation fuels; and bio-coal as the decomposition component which may be used as a soil fertiliser that facilitates soil formation, improves soil functional redundancy, increases organic carbon stability, favours water circulation, and supports the soil pH buffering capacity (Hilber et al 2017;Tammeorg et al 2017;Verheijen et al 2017). The ecosystem services provided by macroalgae are fully aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals, which encompass the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) (Ferreira et al 2021).…”

Global estimates of suitable areas for marine algae farming

“…In contrast to terrestrial biomass production, seaweed farming does not require arable land or freshwater. Moreover, cultivated seaweed can be used for biofuel production (Milledge et al 2014, Michalak 2018, Sharmila et al 2021, animal feed (Wan et al 2019, Vijn et al 2020, Roque et al 2021, and bioremediation (He et al 2008, Huo et al 2011, Xiao et al 2017, Jiang et al 2020 while also providing other ecosystem services such as water quality regulation and habitat provision for wild species (Ferreira et al 2021). Offshore macroalgal farming has the potential to contribute to energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through biofuel production, and to provide low-emission alternatives for industries as diverse as textiles, bioplastics, and fertilizers.…”

Identifying suitable zones for Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L.M.Liao farming in a densely developed portion of the South Atlantic

“…The ecosystem services provided by macroalgae are fully aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDGs 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14, which encompass environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability(Ferreira et al 2021). Further research by environmental engineers, aquaculturists, and agriculturists can determine optimal cultivation times and environments for each macroalgae application.…”