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Integrated seaweed cultivation on an abalone farm in South Africa

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Abstract

Land-based abalone aquaculture in South Africa, based on the local species Haliotis midae, started in the early 1990s and has grown rapidly in the last decade, with 13 commercial farms now producing over 850 t per annum. Over 6,000 t per annum of kelp Ecklonia maxima are now harvested for this purpose, and some kelp beds are reaching maximum sustainable limits. Research into seaweed aquaculture as feed (Ulva and some Gracilaria) for abalone started in the late 1990s on the southeast coast (where there are no kelp beds) using abalone waste water. A growing body of evidence suggests that a mixed diet of kelp plus other seaweeds can give growth rates at least as good as compound feed, and can improve abalone quality and reduce parasite loads. A pilot scale Ulva lactuca and abalone integrated recirculation unit using 25% recirculation was designed and built on the south west coast of South Africa using one 12,000-L abalone tank containing 13,200 15 ± 2.5 g abalone, connected to two 3,000-L seaweed tanks containing an initial starting biomass of 10 kg of seaweed, replicated 3 times. In an 18-month period, there were no significant differences in abalone health or growth rates, sediment build up and composition, mobile macro fauna densities and species between the recirculation or the flow-through units. Transfer of oxygen generated by the seaweeds to the abalone tanks was poor, resulting in the recirculated abalone tanks having lower (33%) dissolved oxygen concentrations than a comparable flow-through abalone unit. Seaweed nutrient content and specific growth rates in the units were comparable to seaweeds cultivated in fertilized effluent (SGR = 3.2 ± 3.4%.day−1; Yield = 0.2 ± 0.19 kg.m2.day−1). Indications were that at this low recirculation ratio the seaweeds in the units were nutrient limited and that there were no negative effects to the abalone being cultivated in such a recirculation unit at this recirculation ratio.

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Abbreviations

25% Recirc.:

25% Recirculation abalone units

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

DIP:

Dissolved inorganic P

FAN:

Free (unionised) ammonia nitrogen

FTU:

Flow-through abalone units

SGR:

Specific growth rate

SST:

Sea surface temperature

TAN:

Total ammonia nitrogen

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency), the South African National Research Foundation, the SANCOR student travel grant and the DEAT Frontier programme for providing funding for this research. MC&M and DEAT for providing research facilities. A special thank you to the I & J farm and staff who without their time, effort and facilities, this research would have been impossible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Deborah V. Robertson-Andersson, Michelle Potgieter & John J. Bolton

  2. Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, SE 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Joakim Hansen & Christina Halling

  3. Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Max Troell

  4. The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005, S-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden

    Max Troell

  5. Seaweed Unit, Marine and Coastal Management, Pvt Bag X2, Roggebaai, South Africa

    Robert J. Anderson

  6. Aquaculture Unit, Marine and Coastal Management, Pvt Bag X2, Roggebaai, South Africa

    Trevor Probyn

  7. Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa

    Deborah V. Robertson-Andersson

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  1. Deborah V. Robertson-Andersson
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  2. Michelle Potgieter
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  3. Joakim Hansen
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Correspondence to Deborah V. Robertson-Andersson.

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Robertson-Andersson, D.V., Potgieter, M., Hansen, J. et al. Integrated seaweed cultivation on an abalone farm in South Africa. J Appl Phycol 20, 579–595 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-007-9239-7

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