How does algae help the realization of the "double carbon" goal?

Algae is one of the oldest photosynthetic biological groups on the planet. The algae forms the energy foundation of all the aquatic biological food networks, which plays a vital role in the aquatic ecosystem. Seaweed is the general name of marine algae. It is aquatic creature, but it is similar to plants. It has chlorophyll, which mainly includes large marine algae and microalgae.

In this year's latest published by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization entitled "A review on the release of potential in the development of seaweed and microalga in global aquaculture", we have seen the algae brought by algae to humans to humans Various contributions, especially in the context of contemporary global attention, the importance of algae environmental benefits and ecosystem service functions is emerging, such as reducing nutritionalization, carbon capture or sealing, improving ocean acidification, providing habitat and coastline lines Protection, etc.

1. What role can algae play in "double carbon"?

To say the role of algae in "double carbon", let's take a look at the ecosystem of seaweed field. This system refers to a typical near -shore marine ecosystem that is a typical near -shore marine ecosystem that is a typical near -shore marine ecosystem that is jointly composed of large algae algae and other marine biological communities. Widely distributed on the coast of the cold temperature belt, and some tropical and subtropical coasts.

(Picture source: Zhang Shouyu, etc., 2019)

The large algae that forms the seaweed field mainly include ponyta algae, giant algae, Kunbu genus, skirt dishes, kelp genus and antlers.

This system can directly or indirectly use environmental benefits and ecosystem service functions. These functions mainly include:

1) Provide habitats for fish and other marine life;

2) As a buffer of the waves to protect the coastline;

3) By providing alternative livelihoods to the fishery community, reducing excessive fishing of aquatic biological resources;

4) By producing seaweed biological fertilizers or biological stimulants to improve soil conditions and reduce the use of agricultural pesticides;

5) Use algae to produce products and packaging that are easy to biodegradable to reduce plastic waste.

Seaweed field (video source: Dalian Ocean Ranch Research Institute)

Therefore, many countries in the world are encouraging the development of algae breeding industries in coastal areas, and emphasize that the algae breeding industry helps achieve "blue carbon". It has continued to appear in response to climate change. There are mainly the following aspects:

The first is to reduce the use of resources. Seaweed farming does not need to directly use land, fresh water, feed or fertilizer. Microlysis can grow in freshwater or marine environment, or it can be cultivated on low -value land in desert and arid areas.

The second is to purify the water environment. The algae can draw nutrients and absorb carbon dioxide through the surrounding waters. In the process of photosynthesis, it can reduce the nutritionalization of the water body, handle wastewater, reduce ocean acidification, and capture/seal carbon.

The third is to provide products with relatively low carbon footprints. These products include human food, animal feed and fertilizer, such as some seaweed can be supplemented as feed to reduce methane emissions at the cattle farm.

Seaweed and microalgae (picture source: Dalian Ocean Ranch Research Institute)

2. What social and economic benefits do algae bring?

Algae, especially seaweed, is an important part of global aquaculture. According to the statistics of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in 2019, algae breeding (wet weight) accounted for nearly 30%of the world's aquaculture output of 120 million tons. With such a large output, their first contribution is to ensure the contribution of food, human health and nutrition.

Because most seaweed has no internal toxins, it is edible. Human consumption of seaweed can be traced back to hundreds of years ago. There are about 700 edible seaweed, including about 195 kinds of brown algae, 345 red algae and 125 kinds of green algae. Many countries in coastal areas have the cultural tradition of eating seaweed. Kelp, seaweed and skirts have become common foods in East Asia, which are widely used as soup, salads, sushi wrapping and snacks. They are introduced into other countries as part of Asian cuisine and are becoming more and more popular globally. Seaweed is a nutritious aquatic food, which is usually rich in dietary fiber, trace nutrients and biological activated compounds. Edible algae can be used as a source of protein and trace nutrients, which helps improve the nutritional status of people in low -income countries inland. The second is the contribution of eliminating poverty and social stability. According to statistics, in 2019, the output of world seaweed breeding for various foods and non -food uses of various foods and non -foods is as high as 34.7 million tons, generating the first sales value of $ 14.7 billion. For example, in the Philippines, it is estimated that the seaweed industry provides employment for 100,000-150,000 seaweed farmers, 30-50,000 local wholesalers and more than 20,000 hawkers.

The third is the contribution of the seaweed industry to protecting women's rights. Seaweed farming has made significant contributions to the cohesion of fishery communities and protecting women's rights. Because seaweed farming has the characteristics of labor -intensive, low capital investment, and simple agricultural technology technology, women usually play an important or dominant role in seaweed breeding and value chain. In India, the Philippines, and Tanzania United Republic, including some coastal areas in my country, women are the preferred and main workers of seaweed farming, and seaweed farming provides them with a revenue in a safe environment. Especially in the Philippines, women account for about 44%of conventional seaweed breeding labor.

(Picture source: United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization)

Dry the seaweed and extract agar (a jelly material) from the seaweed wall to make soap and cosmetics. (Picture source: United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization)

Fourth, contribute to the development of aquaculture. In addition to the direct contribution of its production, algae also helps promote other aquaculture activities. Seaweed can metabolize carbon dioxide and draw inorganic nutrition from the surrounding waters, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which combines seaweed breeding with other aquatic animals breeding, becoming a dynamic production system, which can make better nutrients to increase environmental and economic benefits.

An important part of pond breeding management is monitoring and cultivating microalgae to maintain good water quality and provide natural food for target species. Seaweed can be used as the main feed raw materials for abalone, sea urchin and sea cucumber, which can be used as supplementary fish feed components; microalgae of high -fat content can also be used to produce seaweed oil as a unique alternative to fish oil; , Directly or indirectly cultivate floating animals to provide live bait creatures as open bait of feeding fish, software animals, crustaceans or other aquatic animals.

3. What are the new progress of my country's research on algae and climate change?

There are many research on algae and climate change in my country, here is a specific example.

The Yellow Sea Aquatic Research Institute's marine algae germination and use of the innovation team from the perspective of whipped motion and regeneration ability for the first time analyzed the negative impact and mechanism of water body acidification on the ability of microalgae motion, thereby analyzing the trend of changes in the movement of whipped algae in climate change. And mechanism.

Maybe most people do not know what Dinoflagellate is algae. This is a very special microalgae. It is neither animal nor plants. It is a microorganism of underwater phosphorus, because when it is harassed by the outside world, it will be released like fireflies. The breeding of light can be released as a self -defense function of the whip hair algae.

This study explains the potential impact of sports capacity changes on the evolution of microalgae groups, and provides new research ideas and important theoretical basis for systematic changes in the biodiversity of waters under the condition of climate change. Related research results were published in "Nature Climate Change".

The impact of assessment and predicting climate change on the aquatic biological group and its ecosystem is a challenging international cutting -edge scientific issue. The study conducted 6 years of indoor transmission culture through types of polar ice algae, wide -salt salt algae, and freshwater Rhein coat algae, and conducted medium -scale experiments in the wild.

Experiments found that the acidification of water body caused by carbon dioxide significantly reduced the movement rate of three types of whip hair microalonia and affecting the regeneration ability of the whip hair algae. Climate change has led to the coverage area and average thickness of the polar sea ice decrease year by year. The regulation capacity of sea ice on light is becoming weakened. In order to find a suitable light strong water layer under the ice, the vertical movement is required to deal with The intensity of light at night, while the damage of the whipped exercise ability exacerbates the threat to the survival of microalgae. It can be seen that the negative impact of acidification on the polar whip microcontramuna is even more severe.

Algae health is closely related to human health, and its environmental benefits and ecosystem service functions have increasingly attracted attention from the international community. The development potential of seaweed breeding is huge. To recognize the existing and potential contributions and advantages of the algae industry, we must also pay attention to the various constraints and challenges faced in sustainable development. In promoting the development of algae industry at the global, regional and national level, decision -making and industry management with scientific basis.

At present, domestic and foreign scientific research institutions and some international organizations continue to study and explore the role of algae in dual carbon. Some governments and enterprises have continued to pay attention to the application of microalgae carbon technology, and they have made greater investment in this.Although most applications are still in the mid -testing stage, as the deepening and technology of research and development continuously improves, it is foreseeable that the biocarium of seaweed bio -solid carbon has broad development prospects.Produced: Popular Science China

Author: Liu Yadan (Assistant/Researcher of the former Secretary -General of the Chinese Fisheries Society, a national chief scientific communication expert)

Producer: China Science Popularization Expo

references:

1. "About Seaweed and Microlysis Release Potential Release Potential in the Development of Global Aquaculture" FAO

2. "The contribution of analyzing algae in helping achieve the" double carbon "goal" on behalf of the National Day and Liu Yadan

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