Contribution of macroalgae (seaweed) to sustainability

Abstract

This paper surveys how macroalgae (seaweed) can advance several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By enhancing food security, sequestering carbon, supplying biomass for clean energy, filtering polluted water and replacing wood- or petroleum-based materials, seaweed directly supports SDGs 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 and 15 while fostering innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9). Cultivation projects also generate local jobs—especially for women—thus contributing to SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 16. Key bottlenecks remain: high production costs, limited technology, insufficient research–industry coordination and patchy policy frameworks. The paper details these obstacles in the introduction and offers campus-, nationaland global-scale recommendations in the discussion.

Keywords

• Sustainability
• Macroalgae
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Seaweed-Based Biofuel
• Water Quality.

Makroalglerin (deniz yosunlarının) sürdürülebilirliğe katkısı

Abstract

Bu çalışma, deniz yosunu (makroalg) temelli uygulamaların birden çok Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amacı’na (SKA) eş zamanlı katkı sağlayabileceğini göstermektedir. Makroalgler; gıda güvenliğini arttırma, karbon tutma ve biyoyakıt üretimi yoluyla iklim eylemine (SKA 13) ve temiz enerjiye (SKA 7) destek olma, atıksu arıtımı ve deniz ekosisteminin iyileştirilmesiyle temiz suya (SKA 6) ve “Sudaki Yaşam”a (SKA 14) hizmet etme, ayrıca alternatif hammadde sunarak ormansızlaşmayı azaltma (SKA 15) gibi potansiyellere sahiptir. Bu süreçler aynı zamanda sorumlu üretim-tüketimi (SKA 12) ve sürdürülebilir sanayi-altyapıyı (SKA 9) teşvik eder; yeni istihdam alanları yaratarak yoksulluğun azaltılmasına, toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğine ve kapsayıcı ekonomik büyümeye (SKA 1, 5, 8, 10) katkı sunar. Bu potansiyele karşın, maliyet etkinliği, teknolojik altyapı, bilimsel iş birliği ve politika geliştirme konularındaki yetersizlikler önemli engeller oluşturmaktadır. Makalenin girişinde bu zorluklar özetlenmiş, tartışma bölümünde kampüsten küresel ölçeğe somut çözüm önerileri geliştirilmiştir.

Keywords

• sürdürülebilirlik
• Makroalgler
• Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
• Deniz Yosunu Tabanlı Biyoyakıt
• Su Kalitesi

References

1. Bach, L. T., Ho, D. T., Boyd, P. W., and Tyka, M. D. (2023). Toward a consensus framework to evaluate air–sea CO2 equilibration for marine CO2 removal. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 8, 685–691. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10330
2. Bourgougnon, N., Burlot, A. S., and Jacquin, A. G. (2021). Algae for global sustainability?. In Advances in botanical research (Vol. 100, pp. 145-212). Academic Press.
3. Egea, L. G., Infantes, E., and Jiménez-Ramos, R. (2023). Loss of POC and DOC on seagrass sediments by hydrodynamics. Science of the Total Environment, 901, 165976.
4. GRASS Report. (2021). Ecological impact of macroalgae cultivation in the Baltic Sea region. Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. European Union. https://www.submariner-network.eu/
5. Hurd, C. L., Gattuso, J.-P., and Boyd, P. W. (2023). Air-sea carbon dioxide equilibrium: Will it be possible to use seaweeds for carbon removal offsets? Journal of Phycology, 00, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13405.
6. Hurd, C. L., Law, C. S., Bach, L. T., Britton, D., Hovenden, M., Paine, E. R., Raven, J. A., Tamsitt, V., and Boyd, P. W. (2022). Forensic carbon accounting: Assessing the role of seaweeds for carbon sequestration. Journal of Phycology, 58(3), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13249
7. IPCC. (2023). Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 35-115, doi: 10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647
8. Jiang, Z., Liu, J., Li, S., Chen, Y., Du, P., Zhu, Y., Liao Y, Chen Q, Shou L, Yan X, Zeng J, and Chen, J. (2020). Kelp cultivation effectively improves water quality and regulates the phytoplankton community in a turbid, highly eutrophic bay. Science of the Total Environment, 707, 135561.

9. Kumar, D., Pugazhendi, A., Bajhaiya, A. K., and Gugulothu, P. (2021). Biofuel production from Macroalgae: present scenario and future scope. Bioengineered, 12(2), 9216.
10. Osman, M. E., Abo-Shady, A. M., Elshobary, M. E., Abd El-Ghafar, M. O., and Abomohra, A. E. F. (2020). Screening of seaweeds for sustainable biofuel recovery through sequential biodiesel and bioethanol production. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 32481-32493.
11. Pardilhó, S., Cotas, J., Pacheco, D., Bahcevandziev, K., Pereira, L., Oliveira, M. B., and Diasi J. M. (2023). Back to the Origins: Potential of Beach-Cast Macroalgae as Biofertilizer. Waste Biomass Valor 14, 1097–1111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-022-01922-7
12. Pereira, L., and Cotas, J. (2020). Introductory Chapter: Alginates - A General Overview. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.88381
13. Schmidtchen, L., Roleda, M. Y., Majschak, J.-P., and Mayser, M. (2021). Processing technologies for solid and flexible packaging materials from macroalgae. Algal Research, 102300. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2021.10230
14. Song, X. P., Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P., Adusei, B., Pickering, J., Adami, M., ... & Tyukavina, A. (2021). Massive soybean expansion in South America since 2000 and implications for conservation. Nature Sustainability, 4(9), 784-792.
15. Sultana, F., Wahab, M. A., Nahiduzzaman, M., Mohiuddin, M., Iqbal, M. Z., Shakil, A., Mamun, A., Khan, M. S. R., Wong, L., and Asaduzzaman, M. (2023). Seaweed farming for food and nutritional security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and women empowerment: A review. Aquaculture and Fisheries, 8(5), 463-480.
16. UNEP Report. (2021). From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. UNEP - UN Environment Programme. https://unep.org/resources/pollution-solution-global-assessment-marine-litter-and-plastic-pollution.
17. Vijayasekaran, G., Kamal, M., Gopi, M., Nanthakumar, S., and Girimurugan, R. (2023). Enhancement of natural fiber-reinforced plastics by polyester and seaweed waste fibers. Materials Today: Proceedings.