Binder seeding to improve the economic case of UK macroalgal cultivation (Bindweed)

大型藻类养殖作为一种水产养殖业在英国的出现落后于我们的许多邻国，如挪威，法国，西班牙和爱尔兰。用于食品的大型藻类的培养是有利可图的，并且在英国和整个欧洲都存在巨大的未满足的市场潜力。目前，该行业仅限于小规模的耕种者，因为需要大量的人工进行诸如原种的外植等活动。Bindweed项目旨在将最近的研究成果转化为创新的新技术，并加以完善，从而大大降低最终用户的大型藻类种植成本。目前的最新技术水平是将携带孵化场饲养的幼藻人工缠绕在延绳上。Bindweed方法将幼年大型藻类嵌入水胶体基质中，然后可以将其直接施加到培养基质上。将传统上在孵化场中保持数周的幼鱼保持在粘合剂基质中足够长的时间，以允许在粘合剂降解之前直接附着到基质上。Bindweed方法预计a）将孵化场培养的空间效率提高100倍，B）将部署速度提高至少3倍，以及c）可以机械化/自动化用于更大规模，进一步提高效率。在学术试验中，粘合剂方法产生的大型藻类产量与海藻相当或更高，但粘合剂方法不可靠。粘合剂方法的成功似乎与最初出植过程中的物理化学条件有关，最明显的是波浪和/或潮汐引起的水运动。在目前的配方中，来自高水运动的剪切导致粘合剂在幼虫能够附着之前降解，导致作物歉收或播种密度降低。Bindweed项目将通过四个相互关联的工作包（WP）来解决当前的不可靠性问题，这些工作包将通过结合实验室测试、现场监测和现场实验来开发技术准备程度为6级至8级的粘合剂，以提供最终的经济评估信息。WP 1将通过在受控流动环境（生物水槽）中进行重复试验来优化粘合剂/材料/流动相互作用。新的粘合剂配方（组成，粘度和厚度）将受到不同的流动状态的挑战，并与旨在改善幼株保留的新型栽培基质相结合。在水槽研究中跟踪的流态的选择将通过在WP 2中具有不同潮汐和波浪驱动流影响的四个大型藻类养殖点的环境监测来了解。将详细描述表层（适合种植）内的流动环境，以解决用于评估种植项目场地适合性的传统监测和建模工具的局限性。地表流测量，沿着其他测量的物理化学条件，包括光照、温度、营养物质、pH值和溶解氧，将用于支持现有的建模工具，以更好地为选址过程提供信息。在WP 3中，将使用四个种植地点的出植试验来确认拟议的优化粘合剂配方和基质（来自WP 1）在现实世界中的适用性。将与WP 3同时监测出植成功率和生长率。在WP 4中，经济分析将比较粘合剂播种创新与标准播种方法，以证明该项目通过融合学术和工业知识所创造的切实经济效益。这将与SWOT分析相结合，为英国种植者创造一个决策工具。

The emergence of macroalgal cultivation as an aquaculture industry in the UK lags behind many of our neighbours such as Norway, France, Spain and Ireland. Cultivation of macroalgae for food products is profitable and there exists a large unmet market potential, both within the UK and across Europe. Currently, the industry is limited to small-scale cultivators due to the large manual requirement for activities such as outplanting of seedstock. The project Bindweed aims to translate and refine recent research into an innovative new technology that will substantially reduce the cost of macroalgal outplanting for end-users.The current state of the art involves manually winding twine carrying hatchery reared juveniles around longline ropes. The Bindweed method, embeds juvenile macroalgae within a hydrocolloid matrix which can then be directly applied onto cultivation substrates. Juveniles which would traditionally be maintained in the hatchery for several weeks are held in the binder matrix for long enough to allow attachment directly to the substrate before the binder degrades. The Bindweed method is expected to a) increase the space-efficiency of hatchery cultivation 100 times, b) increase the speed of deployment by at least 3 times and c) could be mechanised/automated for use at larger scales further increasing efficiency. In academic trials, the binder method produces a comparable or higher yield of macroalgae than twine, yet the binder method is unreliable. Success of the binder method appears to be related to the physicochemical conditions during initial outplanting, most notably water motion created by waves and/or tides. In the current formulation, shear from high water motion results in the degradation of the binder before the juveniles are able to attach, causing crop failures or reduced seeding densities. The Bindweed project will address the current unreliability through four inter-connected work packages (WP) which will develop the binder from Technological Readiness level 6 to 8 by combining laboratory testing, field monitoring and field experimentation to inform a final economic assessment. WP1 will optimise the binder/material /flow interaction through replicated trials within a controlled flow environment (biological flume). New binder formulations (composition, viscosity and thickness) will be challenged with different flow regimes and combined with novel cultivation substrates aimed at improving retention of juvenile plants. The selection of the flow regimes trailed within flume studies will be informed by environmental monitoring at four macroalgal cultivation sites with different influences of tidal and wave driven flow in WP2. The flow environment within the surface layers (suitable for cultivation) will be characterised in detail to address limitations in traditional monitoring and modelling tools used to assess site suitability for cultivation projects. Surface flow measurements, along with other measured physicochemical conditions including light, temperature, nutrients, pH, and dissolved oxygen will be used to support existing modelling tools to better inform the site selection process. In WP3, outplanting trials at the four cultivation sites will be used to confirm the suitability of the proposed optimised binder formulation and substrate (from WP1) in the real-world. Outplanting success and growth rates will be monitored in parallel with WP3. In WP4, an economic analysis will compare the binder seeding innovation compared to the standard twine seeding method to demonstrate the tangible economic benefits of the project created through the fusion of academic and industrial knowledge. This will be combined with a SWOT analysis, to create a decision tool for UK cultivators.