A STUDY ON THE POTENTIAL OF SEAWEED AQUACULTURE BEDS (SABs) FOR ADAPTATION TO OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND EUTROPHICATION

Jin Woo Kang* and Ik Kyo Chung
 
Oceanography Major, Division of Earth Environmental System Pusan National University
Busan Metro City 46241, Republic of Korea
kangsoku@pusan.ac.kr
 

Recently there have been ever increasing recognition of kelp forests and seaweed aquaculture beds (SABs) as mitigation and adaptation measures in the context of climate change and cultural eutrophication. We conducted ecophysiological studies of several wild and cultivar seaweed species under low pH and high ammonium concentration in the laboratory. Some physiological parameters, such as pH changes, photosynthetic oxygen evolution rates, nutrient uptake rates, relative growth rates and state of chlorophyll fluorescence, were measured to reveal the effect of acidification and nutrient enrichment. All physiological responses of tested specimens were enhanced under those experimental conditions of elevated CO2 and nutrient treatments. We speculated that seaweeds could mitigate the stresses of ocean acidification (OA) and eutrophication. In addition to the seaweed mitigation potential of organic carbon sink, the adaptation measures of seaweeds to the OA and cultural eutrophication could be implemented in the coastal waters. We would strongly propose "Seaweed Adaptation Action Plan (SAAP)" by the seaweed aquaculture beds (SABs) based on our experimental results.

Key words: Eutrophication, Ocean acidification (OA), seaweed aquaculture beds (SABs) adaptation.