ENHANCING AQUACULTURE PRODUCTIVITY WITH AN ENZYME-BASED CARBON DIOXIDE SYSTEM

THIS PROPOSAL CONCERNS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ENHANCING THE GROWTH OF ALGAE IN AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS. THIS NEW APPROACH INVOLVES AN ENZYME-BASED COLLECTION SYSTEM TO UTILIZE ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE ALLOWING DENSE, SUSTAINED ALGAL PRODUCTION. NATURALLY, ALGAE OBTAIN CARBON DIOXIDE, USED AS THEIR CARBON SOURCE, FROM SURROUNDING WATER WHICH IS SLOWLY REPLENISHED FROM ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE. RECENTLY, IT HAS BEEN CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THAT ALGAL GROWTH IN AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS CAN BE GREATLY ENHANCED BY THE ARTIFICIAL ADDITION OF EXTRA CARBON DIOXIDE. PRESENTLY THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY COMMERCIAL COMPRESSED CARBON DIOXIDE BUBBLED IN THE WATER OF THE AQUACULTURE SYSTEM. WHILE EFFECTIVE, THIS IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. THE PROPOSED PROCESS USES AN ENZYME, CARBONIC ANHYDRASE, TO EFFECTIVELY TRAP ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE AND EQUILIBRATE IT RAPIDLY WITHIN THE AQUACULTURE WATER. THIS PROPOSAL CALLS FOR LABORATORY SCALE TESTING OF THE PROCESS, OPTIMIZATION OF OPERATING, AND SCALE MODEL TESTING WITH A VARIETY OF ALGAL CULTURES. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARYINFORMATION FOR TESTING THE PROCESS WITH LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE (PHASE II). IN THE LONGER TERM, THIS TECHNOLOGY OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR BOTH CONSIDERABLY REDUCED COSTS FOR SUPPLYING CARBON DIOXIDE AND FOR COMPLETE ON-SITE PRODUCTION.