Seaweed farms plus AI clean water and boost health products
Yin S, Sharma M, Foudah SH, Hassan SHA, Alalawy AI
Phytoremediation
The kelp and nori showing up in more grocery stores and garden ponds aren't just food trends, they're being engineered as living water filters that pull excess nitrogen and phosphorus straight out of coastal runoff.
Scientists reviewed how growing seaweed in the ocean, from onshore tanks to offshore farms mixed with fish and shellfish, can soak up pollution while also producing useful stuff like wound bandages, skincare ingredients, and supplements for plants and animals. Green seaweeds like sea lettuce and red ones like Gracilaria turned out to be especially good at removing nitrogen and phosphorus from water. Researchers are also using gene editing and AI-powered cameras to identify seaweed species, predict their growth, and breed sturdier strains faster than ever.
Key Findings
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems using green seaweed (Ulva) and red seaweed (Gracilaria) achieved nitrogen removal rates of 74% and phosphorus removal rates of 72%.
CRISPR gene editing in the brown alga Ectocarpus achieved nearly 70% mutation efficiency, showing strong potential for improving seaweed traits.
AI tools using computer vision and machine learning are increasingly applied to seaweed species identification, nutrient analysis, growth prediction, and ecological restoration monitoring.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Seaweed farming can clean up polluted coastal water while producing material for wound dressings, cosmetics, and healthier crops and livestock, and artificial intelligence is now speeding up how fast we can identify, grow, and improve these plants.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Multi-applications and Aquaculture of Seaweeds: Environmental Improvement, Health Benefit, and Sustainable Valorization with Integrated Artificial Intelligence.
Environmental and human health applications of seaweeds (SWs) have received attention in recent years. However, previous reviews lack of covering SWs from cultivation to their various applications,...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Gracilaria, also known as Irish moss or ogonori, is a genus of red algae in the family Gracilariaceae. It is notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte meaning that it is used to make agar, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species in the ...