Outdoor algae culture systems

On-land cultivation of shellfish in nurseries requires large amounts of algae. In addition, a new development that Wageningen Marine Research is investigating is the cultivation of shellfish seed to market size in on-land grow-out systems. For this, large amounts of algae are necessary as well.

Research questions include: Which species of algae are suitable as food for shellfish? Under what circumstances can these algal species be cultured in mass on-land? What is the maximal yield? To study this a series of 2000 liter  race-ways and circular tanks are available. The circular tanks are used for batch and semi-continuous cultures, while the race-ways can be used for batch, semi-continuous and continuous cultures.

The race-ways are equipped with a paddle wheel that can be operated at different speeds. Temperature and irradiation can be monitored continuously. Cell density, chlorophyll content, nutrient concentrations (N, P, Si), salinity, oxygen and pH can be monitored by regular sampling.