Case Study Part 2: Marine Protected Areas in West Bali - Algae aquaculture as a solution

Part Two: Algae farming - method and specifications

1. Introduction

Algae farming was introduced to Sumber Kima in 2003, but the first attempts were more or less failures, as the seaweed would not thrive in their particular bay.

Different species of red algae were tested, among them Eucheuma Catonii. Finally, a species brought in from Maumere, Flores - another Rodophyte species called Kappaphycus Alpharezi - proved to be suitable for that area. (Maumere, in turn, got it from the Phillipines: the species is not native to the Indonesian seas).

Red algae are known for their high contents of the gelling agent carrageenan, which has many commercial applications in the food and cosmetics industry, for example in dairy products, pet foods, or toothpastes. Red algae high in carrageenan, as the species mentioned above, are therefore the major types of algae to be commercially cultivated in SE Asia.

"Hello, my name ist alvarezii"

[/caption]

Seaweed farming is actually not an ancient practice in Indonesia, and therefore the knowledge about suitability and adaptability of species still low. While Japan has a very ancient tradition of algae cultivation, the Philippines were pioneers in SE Asia, from where it spread to Indonesia. In Bali, the first algae culture was done in the area of Nusa Dua, South Bali, in the 90ies.

Certainly, wild seeweads have been harvested in Indonesia for decades, and used in a variety of dishes, as salads or as gelling agent (Agar).

2. The method

2.1 Planting

Algae farmers in Bali Barat employ the long-line cultivation method. The seedlings are attached to a very long sythetic rope, which floats close to the surface of the water, held up by little buoys every few meters.


this sketch is borrowed from here! Thanks!

The seedlings, which are simply cut-off branches from an older plant, are tied to the rope with a thinner rope with a loose knot, allowing for some movement with the currents, with spaces of approx. 20 cm between knots. The floaters, usually pieces of Styrofoam, plastic bottles or balls, do not only keep the line at a more or less constant depth of 30-40cm and make it easier to spot but also increase the amount of movement of each little segment.




"'field of' long lines and floaters, clearly visible from the shore"



The line itself is attached to a stong pole or frame which sits firmly in the ground on both ends. This method is suited for bays which are steep, but no too deep.

At Nusa Dua, for example, algae is grown it along the ground. The advantage of this is that it can be planted and harvested on foot at low tide. But this works only on a flat, plan coastline. The result is the same, but the environmental damage is probably higher because you walk on any existing coral. Floating method and harvest/planting by boat is pretty low impact. The only impact really are some runaway styrofoam floaties, but these are usually collected again because they are needed.

In fact the seaweed cultivation creates favorable environment for fish, and the seaweed farmers report that the fish have increased in the area of seaweed farming and are easy to catch.

2.2 Harvesting

After 35-45 days, the algae has grown enough to be harvested. For harvest, the line is lifted above the water and the algae cut off close to the knot.

The tips of some of the harvested plants are cut for use of re-planting. Planting and harvesting is thus done in a constant cycle. While harvesting the ‘field’ on one side, young seedlings are being replanted on the other.

While harvest is technically possible throughout the year, the growth rate of the algae is best during the rainy season. During the dry months, june-september, seedlings grow slowly and are more prone to deseases.

The reason for this is not known for sure, because the farmers don’t have the means to measure temperature/salinity or any other factors that might be influencing this. However, the observation implies that during hot months, the water gets too muddy/warm or salty. In other areas, it’s the other way around and it seems to depend strongly on the species. Here, the alage aquaculture could profit greatly from a scientific research partnership. Perhaps it could prove best to cultivate one species during the hot months and another during the rainy season to yield maximum profits?

2.3 Drying

After harvest, the seaweeds are spread out on flat thatched bamboo boards and these are put on top of wood or concrete stand, directly in the sun. They get sun and wind from top and sides and a little from underneath because of thatched board. They needs to be spread evenly and only one layer to avoid fouling. If it starts to rain, they need to be covered with a synthetic cloth immediately, it is simply thrown over the drying structure and held up by the wooden bar running along the middle. If it’s hot and sunny it will only take two days to dry. Hanging is also possible but is simply much more work and the results are the same.

"drying stands"




"spreading out the algae on the drying stand"



After drying, they will have lost 90% of their weight. In dried form, the algae can be stored for several months.

"wet product on the left and dried on the right"





inside the currently very empty storage room

The dried product is sold on the markets in Bali’s capital Denpasar, but the farmers don’t know much about what happens then.

3. Species, reproduction, diseases

As described in the introduction, the species cultivated in Sumber Kima, and all over SE Asia as a matter of fact, are red algae of the Kappaphycus or Eucheuma kind. Both are high in carrageenan and essentially very similar.

They are branched, have thick, fleshy thalli and are olive-brown to purplish-red in color.

Highly interesting is their capacity for vegetative regeneration, which essentially is the reason for the entirely asexual reproduction method employed by farmers in Sumber Kima (simply cutting off tips of older plants and regrowing from there, and so on). Thinking back to our visit to Kiel, this method really sets them off from the German alage farmers who were obtaining new generations of their brown algae from spores in each cycle.

Now I am not a expert (yet) but I came across this study which seems to imply that purely vegetative methods in algae farming may lead up to problems such as decrease in productivity after several ‘generations’, increased vulnerability to catch diseases and so on, which are precisely the problems Sumber Kima farmers were also reporting.

At the time of my visit, two types of diseases had been affecting the harvest: first something called Ice-Ice. The algae starts to turn white around the attachment area, and is prone to break off. It is not so fatal and can be diminished by cutting the stems above the white spot one by one and reattaching it – a lot of work, but can be done

The other disease is known as Karat (‘Rust’). It is some sort of fouling or infection of the seaweed and it spreads quickly. It does not kill the seaweed entirely but inhibits growth and results in an uglier, less-branched and rather rough-skinned plant. Karat is one of the diseases which befalls the algae during the already less productive dry season. Again, more scientific support could help in gaining a better understanding of the diseases and finding ways how to deal with them.



healthy vs. sick algae

Look out for Part 3 of my report: processing algae: candy, crackers and more

Case study: Marine Protected Areas in West Bali – algae aquaculture as a solution

< Nadine Freischlad >
I’ve been lucky to spend the past few weeks in Indonesia. Part of my trip involved visiting a program initiated by the WWF in West Bali: This region is designated as a National Park but still, the coastal ecosystem has been suffering greatly from overfishing/cyniade fishing and tourism, as local inhabitants are struggling to find sources of income.

Bali Barat National Park Region



Part of the WWF’s work was to introduce collectives of fishermen to algae farming, a practice which is NOT native to Bali, but is considered a profitable and simple alternative to fishing. It has been successfully introduced to other areas of Bali previously, including Nusa Dua and Nusa Lembongan. (Another more sustainable form of fish production are the grouper breeding sites, floating aquafarm structures locally known as Kerambah, which I will report on later.)

Since the days in the village of Sumber Kima (‘Source of Pearls’), one of the villages in the vicinity of the National Park, have been so extremely insightful, I will split up the report into several posts. The first post is dedicated to painting a picture of the complex cultural, economic and ecological system that makes up a coastal zone in Indonesia – and most likely everywhere else in the world.

The obvious conflict in the area of the National Park was the clash of interests between those wanting to preserve the natural habitat and those people in need of using the ocean’s resources for their survival. In the beginning, not enough effort was put into bringing together all interests, which resulted in the criminalization of people still using destructive fishing methods and catching ornamental fish to sell them.

In this situation, there was a need for mediation and bringing all stakeholders together in a common forum. (Which is what the WWF facilitated) Representatives of the National Park, fishermen groups, regional entrepreneurs and the local police are meeting regularly to discuss problems and to find solutions. The main pillars of work of this forum are:

1. Protecting the coastal ecosystem (Zonation of National Park: core zone vs. zones for ‘light’ tourism, research, recreation)
2. Introducing alternative sources of income for fishermen (algae farming)
3. Joint patrols to monitor
4. Fundraising

Algae aquaculture seemed especially suited as the demand is high and it has worked in other regions of Bali. It requires little investment, thus allowing fishermen with little funds to join in.

Villagers in Bali are often organized in neighborhood collectives, or groups, in which they share workload and equipment. In this specific program, effort has been made to integrate the women of the collective into to production cycle. The women help with preparing the seeds, planting and harvesting, but are also responsible for some processing of the algae. This includes baking cakes, making different sorts of candy and crackers, which are then sold at local markets.

Since the program started in 2003, after some initial difficulties, the farmers have seen some significant improvements and more groups have joined in. The amount of algae produced has risen dramatically and they report that fish are now more plentiful and easy to catch as they use the algae farming site to feed on and for shelter.

increase in yearly algae production from 1 0 tons to 750 tons since 2003 (weight before drying)"



Another interesting fact is that the fishermen-turned-algae farmers on Bali are not actually Balinese people, but from the island of Madura. The Madurese, living on a small and overpopulated island, have a long tradition of fishing. They are also known to be very skilled boat builders and are basically found inhabiting any coast of the Indonesian Archipelago, bringing their belief, Islam, with them. The Balinese themselves, as Hindus, are traditionally not fishers but farmers and prefer to populate the mountainous regions. In their belief, Demons inhabit the seas while the mountains are the domain of the gods.

Thus, the program to help the fishermen to find more sustainable, less exploitative and most of all legal uses of the ocean is not only addressing an economic dimension, but might also be part of stabilizing the social fabric. (Luckily, there is and has been NO conflict regarding differences in religion or culture in the region)



So, I am thinking that my next visit should be to Madura, to learn from the cradle of these crafty sea-faring people ☺

Look, they even make their own fishing nets… I totally believed those are machine-made these days!



Stay tuned for Part 2: The algaeculture method employed in Bali Barat (seeding, long-line planting, harvesting, replanting, drying)

< /Nadine Freischlad >

Microcosmic Aquaculture

<Cesar Harada> 07-2-2009, straight from http://www.thefunctionality.com/blog/2009/7/2/microcosmic-aquaculture.html

[Editors' Note]: For this week's Friday Feature (posted early for the holiday), The Functionality is proud to host "Microcosmic Aquaculture," a speculative project by new design office Bittertang (Michael Loverich + Antonio Torres). The project recently won inclusion as part of [Bracket] magazine's feature on the future of farming, which explores "the modification of infrastructure, urbanisms, architectures, and landscapes toward a privileging of production." We love "Microcosmic Aquaculture" because it is both completely whimsical and completely convincing as a concept that could help increase marine biodiversity and replenish the world's overfished waters. Think of it as a biodegradable fish farm. Or a synthetic reef. Or an edible scuba museum. Or a pile of goo. Either way, it follows on the heels of an (unintentional) theme here at The Functionality over the past month: self-sustaining pods. From Mary Mattingly's water pods to Tomás Saraceno's floating blob, we're embracing the post-apocalyptic condition with gusto...



Gelatinous orb section and detail (courtesy bittertang)[Project statement]: We imagine a future where the vast and deep expanses of the ocean will teem with overabundant floating gelatinous reefs. Human's will be nourished physically and aesthetically by encouraging new floating worlds of reefs that sustain large quantities of harvestable wild and captive fish. Farming in this project is not viewed as a monoculture but the creation of a new ecology where wild and captive wildlife are 'raised' and their aesthetic potential is enjoyed by future divers and fishermen.

By encouraging the establishment of new ecosystems contemporary farmers as well as the public can reap sustenance and aesthetic benefits from environmental stewardship. The ocean is a vast resource that can accommodate more life when the proper conditions are met. These conditions are minimal and new ecologies can flourish around the simplest substrate. In the ocean it is not a matter of making space for life but by making objects that attract life. By combining manufactured products with plant material we will help to define a new bio-engineered aesthetic associated with qualitative benefits that disturbs romantic desires to return to nature and environmentalism. Our ominous orbs will provide the structure from which this aesthetic will arise.

Gelatinous Armada (courtesy bittertang)By encouraging the establishment of new ecosystems contemporary farmers as well as the public can reap sustenance and aesthetic benefits from environmental stewardship. The ocean is a vast resource that can accommodate more life when the proper conditions are met. These conditions are minimal and new ecologies can flourish around the simplest substrate. In the ocean it is not a matter of making space for life but by making objects that attract life. By combining manufactured products with plant material we will help to define a new bio-engineered aesthetic associated with qualitative benefits that disturbs romantic desires to return to nature and environmentalism. Our ominous orbs will provide the structure from which this aesthetic will arise.

Gelatinous orb lifecycle (courtesy bittertang)The advantage of this methodology is that farmed fish are grown within a larger reef system that manages and cleanses the waste and accumulation of typical farms. Large colonies of wild fish and shellfish will be attracted to the new substrate and can be harvested by a farm's owner of may be made available to the public.

These orbs will not only be productive and efficient farms, but the giant spherical reefs will become an aestheticized and living object to be explored by divers and recreational fisherman. Shape and gelatin mixture will produce different living conditions and various reef typologies, no two will be the same. Once set loose in the wild the orbs will literally take on a life of their own, following currents and attracting life wherever they go, possibly even mingling with other spheres of various ages, sharing their ecosystems and giving them away as they collapse and die. In the ocean this growth can happen very quickly within months of being born the orbs will be covered with living material becoming new edible living worlds.

From the fellows at bittertang.

(courtesy bittertang)

Cesar Harada>

Some types of edible algae

Algae are an incredibly nutritious food source and contain a high concentration of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. (According to my algae cooking guide by Éric Coisel, Hijiki algae contain up to 34% minerals, Nori up to 31% proteins) However, since they also contain high levels of iodine, they should not be consumed in very large amounts. Algae do not filter water but simply absorb it, so water quality plays an important role when harvesting or cultivating algae. everyone can harvest algae. Unlike mushrooms, very few of them are dangerously poisonous. When cooking, you can use them as a vegetable (whole) or in dried and ground form as seasoning.

Some type that are commonly eaten:

Wakame (Undaria, brown algae)
Kombu / Kelp / Seekohl (Laminaria)
Meersalat (Ulva, green algae)
Nori / Laver (Porphyra, red algae)
Dulse (Palmaria Palmata, red algae)

If you're living in the city, like me, the easiest way to get algae are Asian specialty supermarkets. I've found one that has several dried types of algae, mostly from Japan and Korea. I find it pretty difficult to distinguish one type from the other, as the size and shapes seem to vary according to how they've been dried and cut up. So far, I have tried

Hijiki



Quite intense, a little bitter and 'mushroomy' when dry - needs to be soaked only 5 minutes in cold water before cooking.

Wakame



Salty and chewy when dry, needs to be soaked 30 minutes... the leaves unfold to become quite broad and greenish. Subtle taste and very very yummy! This will definitely be one of my favorites.

Mixed algae salad



Haven't even started to identify all the different algae in this wild mix. The white, straight strands become see-through and jellyfish-like when soaked. The yellow/white squirly stuff tastes pretty much of nothing but has interesting texture, as does about everything else in here. My verdict: Looks better than it tastes! (Maybe I just need the right dressing)

Nori-Snack



This thin sheet of roasted nori is served as a snack. Nori (supposedly a red algae, why is it so green here?) are what's normally used to wrap sushi... this snack is very tasty, a little bit salty and with the distinct taste of sesame oil. Will this be what we're snacking on in the evenings while watching the sunset?

It seems the sea has a lot to offer in terms of vegetables. There's so much still to discover!

Btw, I made a wonderful dish afterwards: fried ricenoodles with Wakame and Hijiki and some ginger. I forgot to take a photo :(

Next I will try to find out more about freshwater algae and other edible freshwater plants. Stay tuned.

<Matthieu Sales>

Goals
to create a relationship between Open sailing and the float ecosystem
to make the open sailing autonomic
to Reduce ecologic impact of open sailing project



Our system is based on plankton primary production. In fact plankton (like all photosynthetic organisms) does convert solar energy to chemical energy which we can at first use for food. But there are some other ways to use this energy, like compost warming or bio-fuel.

The cycle of element is composed by several stages :

Plankton Laboratory : For stocking and for growing plankton stumps (plankton library) for inseminate Biomass production module (BPM) and bio-reactor. This library have to be as large as possible, and to represent several biomes and ecosystems. and in this way we could initiate a large scale of different ecosystems (hot or cold, ocean or river, etc..).
Culturs of plankton need two weeks to be mature.

This library could be extend with captures in environment.

Biomass Production Module (BPM) : well, all about it was already very good explained by benjamin in a other post.

Bioreactor :

it may be probably difficult to realize this stage for the Danube prototype, but in fact with a bio reactor which is based on intensive plankton growing system, we should be able to produce O2 and oil. The oil can be used as a Bio fuel.

Compost :


it is a very critic and important stage in all ecosystem. It is the mineralization of wastes, giving CO2, nitrates, phosphate, in order to these elements could be assimilated by plants, It is very important to fertilized primary production (plants, alga, plankton, etc...). This mineralization is realized by a lot of organisms. because that compost is the longest stages,  the turn over of elements depend of decomposition duration.

This cycle of element is very important too to reduce the ecologic impact of opensailing. If this system is efficient, we will create biomass by capture of CO2, and open sailing will become a carbon well (or be a exemple), and participate to reduce global warming.

Matthieu Sales>

The Ocean_Cookbook is taking form

You may have heard it via Twitter or Facebook:  Open_Sailing just recently won another award, taking home a 10 000 EUR grant which will help jump-start the activities of Open_Sailing's Food Department!

Berlin-based Open_Sailing associate Nadine Freischlad wrote a short concept for a book, based on the Open_Sailing vision: Some sort of hybrid between survival guide, picture book and collection of techniques and recipes, called the ‘Ocean_Cookbook‘.

Working together with illustrator Nina Eggemann for some beautiful images, evoking the possibility of our future life at sea, we were ready to present the concept at 5Gum Vision Lab, an idea contest and workshop event in Berlin targeted at exploring the future of our '5 senses' LOOK, TOUCH, SMELL, SOUND and TASTE. A jury of professional designers and artists (each experts in the field of one of the 5 senses) were to judge the concepts according their originality, relevance and, well, their visionary power.

As representatives of the OS Food_Lab, our primary focus was the TASTE-sense, but  considering that Open_Sailing's future lifestyle at sea equals a re-evaluation of all sense, we were confident that we could grab people's attention at this idea contest.

The book, as we described it, covers several themes: nutritional facts about
what life on the ocean will do to our bodies, DIY survival technologies
(for example, how to build efficient solar stills)… it’s going to investigate which animals and plants are best to be cultivated under these circumstances… .. And how we could cultivate them… finally culminating in a cahpter dedicated to delicious recipes
involving algae, sea cucumbers, salicornia and other yummy stuff!

Luckily, the jury was able to grasp the essence and relevance of the book concept and after we got into the round of 10 finalists (from about 130 applications in total), the door was opened to take home the grand prize! (At first, we were a little sceptical because this 'Vision Lab' is a
sponsored event, (5 Gum is a new product by one of the big bubblegum
companies ;-)) but it turns out that they mean this prize as a subsidy
award with no strings attached...) And what's also great is that we met many people, got a lot of encouragement and established contacts to Telse Bus. She was jury member for the TASTE department - herself an expert for food concepts and food design - was totally enthusiastic about the Ocean_Cookbook and will hopefully advise us in the future!

So, now, what's going to happen? The money will flow into the research and development phase coming up this summer, leading up to the ARS electronica festival in Linz in September. Together with Siska, Harrison Leaf, Peter von Bartheld and other magnificent people, we'll read, build and expreiment until the first floating gardens and small scale aqua-farms are ready to travel alongside Open_Sailin_01!  The long term goal is to put our experience and case studies down in the form of a printed book, the Ocean_Cookbook. We'll keep you posted!

Check out some of the beautiful images Nina proposed for the Ocean_Cookbook

culture of phytoplanktons, do it yourself (french)

Cultiver son phytoplancton à la maison
Bonjour!

Aujourd'hui, je vais faire un petit recap' sur la culture de phytoplancton, à faire chez soi. Si j'y arrive, c'est que c'est vraiment à la portée de tout le monde, étant une réelle adepte du moindre effort, un savant mélange de phobie du bricolage et un gros baobab dans la main...

Je souffre aussi de manque d'espace pour faire toutes ces cultures super pour les bacs... Je ne peux pas placer de refuge, j'ai pas de cuve annexe, bref, il faut batailler pour trouver 20cm² de libre autour du bac. Vous verrez que la culture de phyto prend une place très modérée, et c'est tant mieux!

Voici donc mon "installation":

file:///Users/yuewu/Desktop/recherches%20ecosysteme/9541598_fichiers/2572717146_5bc8a35f78.jpg
Je cultive deux algues, la Dunaliella (vert foncée) et la Nannochloropsis salina (vert/jaune).

Pourquoi multiplier les souches?
Les algues phytoplanctoniques ne sont pas toutes de la même taille, ni appréciées par les mêmes animaux. En cultiver plusieurs vous garantit un spectre de nourrissage plus large. J'utilise la Dunaliella pour ma culture de copépodes et j'en rajoute aussi dans le bac, de temps à autre. La Nannochloropsis, qui est plus grosse, me sert de base de nourrissage pour la microfaune du bac communautaire.
Les différentes souches se trouvent auprès d'autres "cultivateurs", ou de revendeurs spécialisés (vous ai je déjà parlé de Coral Verde? ;) Sinon, Marine Life ou Aqualiment vendent aussi quelques souches)

Pourquoi se donner la peine de cultiver les souches séparément?
Les algues font de la prédation entre elles, et si l'on mets plusieurs souches en culture dans le même contenant, au bout de quelque temps, il ne restera plus que l'espèce dominante, la plus grosse (en général Nannochloropsis) qui aura mangé les autres souches. Il faut donc, en culture, faire extrêmement attention à ne jamais mélanger les contenant, ni les tubes d'aération, entre souches, car sinon, on risque de perdre les espèces les plus faibles.

Pourquoi les vendeurs de phyto vendent des mélanges, alors?
Le mélange est possible, après la culture. Si l'on stabilise le mélange, en le réfrigérant,alors, le plancton, endormi, ne fera pas de prédation sur les algues plus petites, et les différentes algues "cohabiteront". Le mélange est donc exploitable pour les ajouts dans le bac, mais n'est pas cultivable. Il doit se garder impérativement au frigo.

Pourquoi ajouter du phytoplancton dans son bac communautaire?
Le bénéfice est certain, même si les animaux "visibles" du bac ne font pas de predation directe dessus. Vous me direz, pourquoi ajouter du phytoplancton alors que ni les coraux, ni les poissons ne le mangent? Le phyto est le socle, la première etape de la chaîne alimentaire, dans le bac. Avec un ajout régulier de phyto, le zooplancton proliférera, copépodes, etc... qui nourrira à sont tour des macroorganismes plus importants, comme des amphipodes, des mysis... Pour peu que l'on se donne la peine de doter le bac de zones de preservation de la microfaune (comme des buissons de caulerpes, où les organismes se reproduisent à l'abri...) ou mieux, d'un refuge connecté, c'est une source importante de nourriture vivante, fraiche et très bénéfique que vous apporterez à vos poissons et coraux.

Passons à la méthode de culture:
Matériel:
- une bouteille de coca 2 litres, bien lavée, par souche. D'autres contenants en plastique transparent et lisses sont possibles, bien sûr ;)
- Tuyau à air
- Pompe à air
- Engrais spécial (Grotech ou Coral verde)
- Eau de mer neuve
- Souche de phytoplancton



Il faut percer un trou sur le bouchon de la bouteille, en haut, pour laisser passer un tuyau à air.

Verser la souche de phyto dans la bouteille propre, remplir la bouteille d'eau de mer, ajoutez un bouchon d'engrais (quantité selon mode d'emploi du produit) et voilà, la culture est prête!



Fermez le bouchon, glisser le tuyau à air jusqu'au fond de la bouteille, et reliez le à la pompe a air de façon a ce que l'eau bulle bien.

Placez la bouteille devant une source lumineuse pendant environ 12h par jour. Chez moi, la culture se fait devant une petite fenêtre, mais vous pouvez installer un tube T8 devant les bouteilles. Comme ça, en plus, vous bénéficiez du même temps de lumière toute l'année, alors que chez moi, la culture se ralentit notablement pendant l'hiver, puisqu'on est alors loin de 12h de lumière par jour...
Attention à ne pas faire trop grimper la température de l'eau, même si les algues sont plutôt tolérantes.

Pendant deux semaines environ, laissez la culture mûrir. rajoutez une fois par semaine un bouchon d'engrais dans chaque bouteille, et ajustez le niveau d'eau avec de l'eau osmosée, pour pallier à l'évaporation.
Au bout de ces deux semaines, la culture est normalement prête à être récoltée. Attendez une semaine entre le dernier ajout d'engrais et la fin de la culture, pour laisser les algues absorber l'engrais au maximum, afin de ne pas risquer de verser ce genre de composant très phosphaté dans le bac communautaire!

En début de culture, l'aspect est vert clair, translucide. Sur la photo, notez la différence de couleur et d'opacité entre une bouteille en début de culture et une bouteille avec la production bien développée, de la même souche.
Lorsque la culture à l'aspect de la bouteille foncée, alors elle est prête à être stabilisée.



Il vous faut alors repiquer la culture, afin de préparer du nouveau plancton. Versez un 10e environ de la 1ere bouteille dans une seconde bouteille vide et propre, remplissez d'eau de mer neuve et d'un bouchon d'engrais. Replacez la bouteille en culture avec la pompe à air. C'est reparti!

La première bouteille prête peut être alors stabilisée et consommée. Perso je verse une bonne rasade tous les trois jours environ. Lorsque je fais l'ajout, je coupe l'ecumeur pour la nuit entière, afin de ne pas détruire de suite le phyto, et le laisser nourrir les organismes. Les deux litres de la bouteille me font les quinze jours d'espacement entre deux cultures.
La bouteille de consommation doit être maintenue au frigo, en la remuant si possible chaque jour pour ne pas laisser de dépôt de former au fond (algues mortes). Elle peut tenir au moins un mois.

voilà, j'espère que cela vous aura donné envie de vous lancer!!
Depuis que je fais ça, j'ai noté une importance vraiment accrue des organismes filtreurs dans le bac (notamment des éponges de toute les couleurs, des petites huitres, beaucoup de vers tubicoles...), et une présence importante de mysis et amphipodes, tout au long de l'année. Je ne me verrai pas arrêter!

World Ocean Day

Did you know that yesterday (8th June) was World Ocean Day?

Click here or here to find out more.


Hello friends,

Today is World Oceans Day - not yet as high profile a calendar event as Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day, yet equally worthy of celebration since the oceans are the source of all life on earth – home to most of the planet's species.

Millions of people depend on the oceans for their livelihood, their food, or both. It's estimated that the oceans absorb 30-50 percent of the carbon dioxide our fossil-fueled civilization emits. The oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe. Quite literally, if the oceans die, our planet dies.

Yet we are fishing out our oceans, catching too much, and wasting much of what we catch. We use destructive fishing methods to scrape the sea-floor clean of centuries-old coral and other living things in search of a few premium species.

We send more and more boats out chasing fewer and fewer fish. We strip the fins from sharks.

And we ignore the warnings of scientists when they recommend that we cut back on fishing for bluefin tuna, cod and salmon.

The End of the Line The End of the Line is a new film released across the UK today for special World Oceans' Day premiere screenings, which tells the story of this relentless quest to catch fish at any cost, and points the finger at the politicians, corporations and chefs who are to blame. It's a stark wake-up call to those of us who blithely assume that there will always be 'plenty more fish in the sea'.

After seeing a preview a few days ago comedian Stephen Fry told his Twitter follwers "Staggered by brilliance of The End of the Line. PLEASE go & see it when it opens 50 screens nxt wk. Rarely felt so strongly about anything". Stephen's one of a large number of celebrities who are now demanding that the fashionable Nobu resteraunt chain take endangered bluefin tuna off its menus. Others include Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Sting, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Alicia Silverstone and Zac Goldsmith.

Here at Greenpeace we think this film is essential viewing, which is why we're proud to be supporting it. Watch the trailer and you'll see that this is more than just another film - it will change the way we think about the oceans. And please tell your friends - the more people who see it in the first few days, the more screenings it will get in cinemas in the weeks and months to come. Once you've seen it, I think you'll agree that this is a film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible.

So please celebrate World Oceans Day by going to see The End of The Line if you can. Check here for the list of participating cinemas - some have special guest Question and Answer sessions.

Help us spread the word about the film

If you use Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites, you can easily help us to get the word out by inviting your friends to take a look.

Thank you,

Willie Mackenzie
Monday, June 8th, 2009

Proposal : Open_Sailing_01 Technical Drawing

We have now the design of the Open_Sailing_01 ready to submit to the British maritime authorities. This ship design has been tested in the water on models (iteration 1, iteration 2), so we have confirmed that the vessel is :
- large enough to host 4 people and equipment
- self-righting, hard to capsize, automatically fliping back in place
- insubmersible, resitant to internal pressure
- impact resistant, composite skin made of recycled material (see rogue waves)
- complying with SOLAS regulations and much more...



Download the ready-to-print 10 pages pdf technical drawing folder 13mb.

Download the 3d model on google 3D warehouse, sketchup, .dwg, .3ds.





front

right


left

back

top

bottom

Condenser

< Peter Von Bartheld >

Salty water can be condensed to get fresh water. Sea water is being pumped up into the lower compartment in small quantities by a simple pump powered by the waves. The black isolated plate heats up the water through solar energy, the water vaporises, moves trough holes into the second compartment were it condenses against the transparent outer layer. It drips down and is being collected at the bottom of the second compartment.

Floating garden (cheap and flexible)

http://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/www/labs/nomadic_ecosystem/draft-ideas

>
I really like the idea of the floating bottle! It is so simple! I guess by making the objects as light as possible, the impact of the waves will be minimal. The heavier the object, the stronger the water pushes back. Let's just ride them!

I made some suggestions for Cesars floating bottle. The container needs to be open so the plant can still breathe, but thats ok when the bottom is closed and a low piont of gravity keeps it up streight. The weight at the bottom is vital. So the top can stay open, also for rainwater to enter. I think the plant has to stay above the water so it has the possibility to drain excess water and doesn't drown. The principle stays the same. Good idea!
>



<Cesar Harada>
Very cool floating proposals of floating gardens from Peter 2 post before.
I'm trying to do the same thing cheaper, and without any welding, minimum labor, material... What if we were closer to the water (maybe as Peter said, the plant might not like it... but can try) and instead of a solid case - having a bag, something flexible. Do plants care if the earth in which they are moves a bit? Maybe after some time the earth and compost becomes compact enough...

So, this is the tunnel idea, but with plastic bottles, in a large bag to hold the earth. the structure is made of plumbery plastic pipes, using a few "T"s, where the structures are meeting we can also use rope. And... oh, it doesnt need to be plastic pipes, maybe wood resists better to UV...



Below, other variations on Peter's design (the sphere and the last one that looks a bit like an oil offshore platform on barrels). So basically it is just a bag in which there is a pot containing a plant. The bag is sealed (not all plants like that, some love to be encapsulated) and with a weight at the bottom is pulled down, inflating the top of the bag, ensuring floatation. That's super cheap design! We can create farms of those, the fact that are inflated should prevent the shocks from being fatal.

Now, to water the plant, it is more work : need to open the bag (this limitates the size to small small plants to be easy to manipulate), pull out the plant, water, put it back ... it is not very easy... So maybe... A diving bell! And perhaps adding a ring of floatation, in case the bag starts to deflate, so our plant doesnt drawn... hehehe. more ideas? Comments?

An unusual way of desalting water

According to Xavier Maniguet, in his "Survive" book, and relating the story of Lynn Robertson, famous shipwrecker, it is possible to desalt water with the human rectal mucous membranes...

It is the fonction of the colic mucous to absorb water in feces.

you just have to put salted water in your ass...

this method has no real scientific experimentation, but it should be.

any volunteer?

Martin Gautron

Land plants at sea

PeterVon Bartheld said :

"Yesterday and today I've been surfing the net a bit looking for some of the plants I know from the Dutch shores. The two plants I've looked up seem to be most suitable; ZEEKRAAL (fr; Salicorne) and Crambe maritima (also called seakale).

ZEEKRAAL in dry sand


ZEEKRAAL in wet sand


ZEEKRAAL in your plate, Bon apetit!

Seakale receipe

They're tough plants and very nutricious. I'm especially interested in the possibilities of creating a system in which animals and plants are balancing each other out, like the Israeli farm you see in the PDF I send you with this email.

Every time I'm looking for this subject, I bump into a collaboration project between Holland, Belgium and Portugal in which different universities did research about growing crops in salty conditions. These guys are obviously the people to talk to. Some of them actually started up little businesses, specializing in salt water farming. See the links in the PDF (3.2 mb)."

AMAZING! So we dont have to eat each other out ! There will definitely be a part of the part 1 publication dedicated to cooking with yummy pictures and happy people

Peter von Bartheld said:

And ofcourse there is Nori (Porphyra) the most commenly know eatible seaweed.

What sort of nutritive value does nori have?

Porphyra contains significant amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. The vitamin C content of nori, or prepared Porphyra, is greater than in raw oranges. The vitamin A content is comparable to that spinach, along with fairly high amounts of vitamin B in general. The amount of free and proteinaceous amino acids in nori are roughly similar to that of vegetables. Manganese, copper and selenium are present in Porphyra and essential for the metabolic processes of organisms. Porphyra has the remarkable capacity for survival against dessication and can dry out for days without harm. The primary storage form for Porphyra isby starch.

cultivation

The farming of nori occurs in two stages. The first stage is when the Conchocelis stage is cultivated along with the production of conchospores. The second stage is when the framer focus on the cultivation of the thallus in the field.

I guess the first stage might be some what complicated, it demands indoor cultivation of the spores, regulating light and temperature, and it is usually done in autumn. But if there is a company that provides the spores ready for growing the thallus (the actual seaweed) then these months would be perfect to experiement with the cultivation of it.

Cultivation of the thallus stage of Porphyra yezoensis

After the collecting of conchospores, these spores are now ready to be seeded and grown on cultivation nets in the field. There are three commonly used cultivation methods:

* The pillar method is only used for intertidal cultivation and in places where the tidal range is between one and two meters.

* The semi-floating raft method is used in the intertidal zone. This may be the preferred method as the raft floats near the surface of the water, allowing maximal exposure to the sunlight needed for photosynthesis.

* The floating raft method is used for production of Porphyra in deep water.

Would the raft-method not be perfect?