Valorization of Marine Waste: Use of Industrial By-Products and Beach Wrack Towards the Production of High Added-Value Products

Abstract

Biomass is defined as organic matter from living organisms represented in all kingdoms. It is recognized to be an excellent source of proteins, polysaccharides and lipids and, as such, embodies a tailored feedstock for new products and processes to apply in green industries. The industrial processes focused on the valorization of terrestrial biomass are well established, but marine sources still represent an untapped resource. Oceans and seas occupy over 70% of the Earth’s surface and are used intensively in worldwide economies through the fishery industry, as logistical routes, for mining ores and exploitation of fossil fuels, among others. All these activities produce waste. The other source of unused biomass derives from the beach wrack or washed-ashore organic material, especially in highly eutrophicated marine ecosystems. The development of high-added-value products from these side streams has been given priority in recent years due to the detection of a broad range of biopolymers, multiple nutrients and functional compounds that could find applications for human consumption or use in livestock/pet food, pharmaceutical and other industries. This review comprises a broad thematic approach in marine waste valorization, addressing the main achievements in marine biotechnology for advancing the circular economy, ranging from bioremediation applications for pollution treatment to energy and valorization for biomedical applications. It also includes a broad overview of the valorization of side streams in three selected case study areas: Norway, Scotland, and the Baltic Sea.

Sustainable production of biofuels and bioderivatives from aquaculture and marine waste

“…Frontiers in Chemical Engineering frontiersin.org Mendis, 2006;Khawli et al, 2019;Rudovica et al, 2021) such as the synthesis of biofuels, biosurfactants, biochar and other bioproducts. Global food loss and waste is one of the main concerns regarding sustainable development, for this reason, it is the focus of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, which aims at halving wastage by 2030 (FAO, 2020).…”

“…Global food loss and waste is one of the main concerns regarding sustainable development, for this reason, it is the focus of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, which aims at halving wastage by 2030 (FAO, 2020). The most extensively used and promising alternative to achieve this SDG goal is the use the exploitation of marine biomass and valorisation of seafood by-products either directly or by the extraction of bioproducts, leading to more environmentally sustainable uses of marine resources and higher economic benefits, in line with the circular economy concepts (Rudovica et al, 2021) that can provide a continued supply of aquatic products beneficial for human consumption without harming existing ecosystems or exceeding the ability of the planet to renew the natural resources required for aquaculture production.…”

“…Beach wrack is another concerning algae bloom, it consists of organic material like seagrass or seaweed biomass which accumulates on beaches due to the action of waves, tides, and non-periodical water level fluctuations. Despite the natural origin of most of this material and its significant ecological role, beach wrack often becomes an environmental issue if accumulated in excessive amounts (Rudovica et al, 2021). Although the negative impact that algal blooms can have on an ecosystem and the environment due to their overproduction and degradation, they could represent a solution and resource if they are collected and reused for the production of biofuel (The Climate Institute, 2017).…”

Establishment of a Sonotrode Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Apple Pomace

“…Bioprospecting to recover wastes of natural origins is a very tangible proposal in different sectors, from the agronomic [ 1 , 2 ] to forest management [ 3 ] as well as for marine by-product valorization [ 4 ] to address a transition from a linear to a circular economy model. In this framework, apple is the edible fruit of the species Malus domestica named by Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen in 1803, the common apple tree.…”

An investigation on protein and amino acid contents in scales and muscles of pomfret Parastromateus niger (Bloch, 1795) and Pampus argenteus (Eupharasen, 1788)

“…In the past, very little work had been done on fish scales, but no information was presented on the protein and amino acid composition that occurs in these pomfret fish scales found on the Balochistan coast. Through, according to the previous studies, though fish scales were contained essential (EAA) as well as non-essential (NAA) amino acids, the total amount of non-essential amino acids (NAA) was consistently found higher than essential amino acids (EAA) as both chemical engineering and pharmaceutical researchers had already been suggested the utilization of fish scales in fertilizers, fisheries byproducts, and extractions of various organic and inorganic components by local farmers and industries, but still not met with success (Silva et al, 2019;Rudovica et al, 2021).…”