elevated antioxidant capacity exhibited by this genus (Sansone et al. 2017). Other
important products are obtained from the freeze-dried biomass of Nannochloropsis
and Isochrysis with direct applications as aquaculture larval feeds and in the
cosmetic field. Microalgal biotechnology in the area shows an interesting progress
that will enable expanding products to new markets as they become available and
technology is refined. An interesting example in this respect is the work carried out
to develop the production of extremely high-price biocompounds as are those toxins
derived from cultured dinoflagellates (Gallardo-Rodríguez et al. 2012). In general
terms, the requirements for maximal control on culture conditions in order to
optimally obtain microalgal biomass rich in high-value compounds recommend
the preferential use of closed production systems in photobioreactors.
Outdoor open production systems, mainly those using paddle-wheel tanks, can
also find their place in the Alboran Sea coastline. Concerning high-value products,
the clearest evidence for developing microalgal aquaculture activities in the zone can
be found in the well-consolidated Dunaliella mass culture in other regions of the
globe. Adaptation of this technology does not seem to be complicated since similar
growth conditions for Dunaliella have been described in the zone (García-González
et al. 2003). The fact that this coastline is known as a climatically favorable region to
perform aquaculture of the most abundantly produced marine microalgae contrasts
with the absence of industrial initiatives. Other factors than climatology, or even
technical development (Prieto et al. 2011), might thus explain why Dunaliella
production has not advanced in the region. In this regard, techno-economic and
marketing studies are missing, and their availability could likely help to get a clearer
grasp of the actual chance for Dunaliella commercial production along the Alboran
Sea coastline.
Alternatives for microalgal aquaculture practices destined to obtain lower-value
products need to be associated to other economic activities acting as a nutrient source
due to nutrients acquiring in this instance higher relevance in total production costs.
Despite the challenging complexity in linking freshwater nutrient-rich sewages to
marine microalgal aquaculture, the feasibility of this approach has been occasionally
commented (Jiang et al. 2011). In the Alboran Sea coastline, there are several high
nutrient-generating industrial- and urban-related activities in which environmental
sustainability would be improved from their integration with microalgal production
systems. In this regard, a particularly advanced situation does exist in the zone where
recent pilot-scale studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using a medium
containing 20–30% of municipal wastewater centrate as the nutrient source to
produce marine microalgae (Ledda et al. 2015; Romero-Villegas et al. 2018).
Typical applications of the microalgal biomass produced following this approach
are in the aquaculture feeds (Vizcaíno et al. 2018), other animal feeds, and
biofertilizer fields.
20 Aquaculture in the Alboran Sea
685
important products are obtained from the freeze-dried biomass of Nannochloropsis
and Isochrysis with direct applications as aquaculture larval feeds and in the
cosmetic field. Microalgal biotechnology in the area shows an interesting progress
that will enable expanding products to new markets as they become available and
technology is refined. An interesting example in this respect is the work carried out
to develop the production of extremely high-price biocompounds as are those toxins
derived from cultured dinoflagellates (Gallardo-Rodríguez et al. 2012). In general
terms, the requirements for maximal control on culture conditions in order to
optimally obtain microalgal biomass rich in high-value compounds recommend
the preferential use of closed production systems in photobioreactors.
Outdoor open production systems, mainly those using paddle-wheel tanks, can
also find their place in the Alboran Sea coastline. Concerning high-value products,
the clearest evidence for developing microalgal aquaculture activities in the zone can
be found in the well-consolidated Dunaliella mass culture in other regions of the
globe. Adaptation of this technology does not seem to be complicated since similar
growth conditions for Dunaliella have been described in the zone (García-González
et al. 2003). The fact that this coastline is known as a climatically favorable region to
perform aquaculture of the most abundantly produced marine microalgae contrasts
with the absence of industrial initiatives. Other factors than climatology, or even
technical development (Prieto et al. 2011), might thus explain why Dunaliella
production has not advanced in the region. In this regard, techno-economic and
marketing studies are missing, and their availability could likely help to get a clearer
grasp of the actual chance for Dunaliella commercial production along the Alboran
Sea coastline.
Alternatives for microalgal aquaculture practices destined to obtain lower-value
products need to be associated to other economic activities acting as a nutrient source
due to nutrients acquiring in this instance higher relevance in total production costs.
Despite the challenging complexity in linking freshwater nutrient-rich sewages to
marine microalgal aquaculture, the feasibility of this approach has been occasionally
commented (Jiang et al. 2011). In the Alboran Sea coastline, there are several high
nutrient-generating industrial- and urban-related activities in which environmental
sustainability would be improved from their integration with microalgal production
systems. In this regard, a particularly advanced situation does exist in the zone where
recent pilot-scale studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using a medium
containing 20–30% of municipal wastewater centrate as the nutrient source to
produce marine microalgae (Ledda et al. 2015; Romero-Villegas et al. 2018).
Typical applications of the microalgal biomass produced following this approach
are in the aquaculture feeds (Vizcaíno et al. 2018), other animal feeds, and
biofertilizer fields.
20 Aquaculture in the Alboran Sea
685