Seaweed Centre

At NIOZ Texel, the Netherlands Seaweed Science Centre (NSSC, in short Seaweed Centre) is being established. The goal of the Seaweed Center is to perform fundamental and applied research on seaweeds. For example, research on the ecophysiology of seaweeds, selection of the most suitable seaweed species for cultivation at the North Sea, will take place at the Seaweed Centre.

Seaweeds are an attractive source of biomass from the sea. They do not need precious freshwater, no claims on agricultural soils are made, they grow on available nutrients in the sea (even reducing eutrophication) and they do not need application of pesticides. This makes seaweeds a very suitable source of biomass for energy (polysaccharides), food and feed (proteins) and high added value bio-active products. All this is done while the seaweeds fix the greenhouse gas CO2, and under the production of oxygen. In these processes seaweeds can give a substantial boost to the development of a bio-based economy.

In doing the fundamental research on seaweeds, several applications may be developed. In the Seaweed Centre we have a close cooperation with Hortimare, the company providing starting material for seaweed cultivation. We envision more cooperation with SME’s in the near future. In the Seaweed Centre NIOZ collaborates with knowledge institutes as ECN, University Groningen, Wageningen University (PRI), IMARES and EcoFys.

The Seaweed Centre is part of Dutch initiatives in the seaweed chain: in the North Sea seaweed testfarm, tests at open sea conditions are performed. Seaweed biomass will be refined in cooperation with ECN.

The Seaweed Centre consists of 20-30 cultivation tanks of 2,000 L each. These tanks are specially designed for seaweed research. The inner side of the tanks is completely smooth, preventing seaweeds to get entangled. An airlift forces turbulent conditions in the tanks. The tanks are fully insulated and are cooled/heated using an earth heating/cooling system, thereby contributing to a sustainable approach. Seawater and air are supplied from a central tubing system. Filtered seawater from the Marsdiep is provided from sandbed filters in the NIOZ aquarium building. The light regime in the tanks can be manipulated by using lids.

Person to contact : Klaas Timmermans, +31 222 - 369 494

Japanese wireweed

Sargassum muticum is gently mixed by the airlift (column of airbubbles) in the incubation tanks of the NIOZ Seaweed centre.

Sea belt

In an experiment with Saccharina latissima, individual "plants" are labelled, as to follow their performance in the seaweed incubation tanks.

Sea lettuce

In the waste water tanks Ulva lactuca is growing well. Airbubbles cause mixing of water and seaweeds.

July 2013: Final position

The first seaweed incubation tank is positoned in its final position!

June 2013: Tubing fixed

All tubing is fixed on a supporting structure. Tubing for heating/cooling, filtered seawater, air and drainage.

May 2013: New wells

Three wells (150 m deep each) are made for heating/cooling of the seaweed incubation tanks.

April 2013: Ulva filter

The concrete tanks of the biological filter are connected, equipped with aeration and filled with seawater. The seaweed Ulva lactuca in these tanks will consume any nutrients left over in the water from the incubation tanks. From the biological filter water will be pumped into the NIOZ wastewater basin.

April 2013: Prototype incubation tank

The prototype of the incubation tank, as well as the container (housing of pumps) and the tubing section are installed. After many months of preparation finally water is flowing, air is bubbling and seaweeds are floating!

February 2013: Concrete floor

The concrete floor (12 m wide, 44 m long) is installed. On one side of the floor, three concrete tanks are placed. These tanks will serve as biological filters. The Seaweed Ulva lactuca will take up any nutrients left over from water from the seaweed incubation tanks.