Ralf Rautenberger1
1Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Division of Food Production and Society, Postboks 115, 1431 Ås, Norway
Correspondence: Ralf Rautenberger, ralf.rautenberger@nibio.no
Aquaculture of marine macroalgae is an important part of the world’s food production. In Norway, the fast-growing kelp Saccharina latissima has the highest potential for industrial biomass production. Aquaculture in the country’s fjords is economically more viable for SMEs, supports the development of IMTA and could allow the industry to approach the projected 20 million tons by 2050. However, S. latissima is exposed to a considerable decline in seawater salinity during the growth season, which affects the biomass production. This presentation shows results of industrial R&D projects in which the presence of “low-salinity tolerant” strains of S. latissima in a North Norwegian fjord and their responses to the seasonal salinity decline was studied. In a laboratory-based common garden experiment, sporophytes of S. latissima from different locations in Skjerstadfjorden were cultivated under different salinities for six weeks. Growth and photosynthetic parameters were measured to understand their physiological responses to salinity stress. Then their F1 generation were seeded on ropes and deployed at a commercial aquaculture site in Skjerstadfjorden to study strain-specific differences in biomass production and yield, optimal growth depths and biochemical composition of S. latissima. In addition, the aquaculture site was characterised by measurements of physical and chemical parameters. The projects’ results will help North Norwegian macroalgae producers to improve the biomass production and biochemical composition of S. latissima. These findings could lay the foundation for the development of breeding programmes in Norway and could demonstrate the macroalgae producers in Norway the possibility of establishing aquaculture in fjords.