Cultivating algae has a long history dating back to ancient East Asia, where seaweeds were farmed for food and other uses. However, modern algaculture as an industry began developing in the 1950s through research focused on improving algal strains and cultivation methods. Initial research and commercial farms centered around producing algae for uses like beta-carotene supplements, agar extraction, and alginate production.

Through the 1960s and 70s, interest grew in developing algaculture further for potential applications like wastewater treatment, biofuels production, and supplying feedstock for the aquaculture industry. This led universities and research institutions around the world to begin establishing its programs and testing different cultivation methods and algal species. Commercial algaculture operations also expanded during this period to serve growing markets.

Major advances occurred in the 1980s with the development of photobioreactors that allowed for improved control over cultivation conditions compared to open ponds. Genetic engineering techniques were also applied to algal strains beginning in the 1980s to enhance desirable traits like growth rates and chemical production. These developments helped identify several algal species well-suited for modern industrial-scale production.

Cultivation Methods in Algaculture

There are two primary methods used for cultivating Algaculture- open ponds and closed photobioreactors. Open ponds remain the most widely used due to their lower infrastructure costs but have limitations in process control and susceptibility to contamination. Circular or raceway ponds with a continuous water flow are most common, with paddlewheels used to keep algae suspended.

Photobioreactors confine algae cultures within an enclosed transparent vessel like tubes, plates, or bags. They offer improved control over growing conditions like light, CO2 levels, temperature, and fluid mechanics. Several photobioreactor designs have been developed and commercialized, including vertical column reactors, horizontal tubular reactors, flat panel reactors, and air-lift reactors. While having higher initial costs, photobioreactors can support higher productivities and culture stability compared to open ponds.

Cultivation conditions must also be carefully controlled within algaculture systems. Parameters like temperature, pH, nutrient levels, salinity (for marine species), light intensity, and light:dark cycles all impact algal growth rates and final yields. CO2 is often supplied to algal cultures to stimulate photosynthesis and growth, with flue gases from power plants frequently used as the CO2 source in large commercial operations. Harvest and processing of algal biomass are additional important aspects of the overall cultivation system design.

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