Newswise — Professor YAN Qingyun and their marine research team have presented a technique for evaluating the carbon absorption of marine macroalgae (Gracilaria) growth. Subsequently, they computed the carbon absorption of Gracilaria farming in China using the historical annual yield data from the past decade. Additionally, they utilized an autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) to forecast the future carbon absorption trend of Gracilaria cultivation for the next ten years. Finally, through a scenario analysis, they investigated the potential enhancement in carbon absorption and reduction in methane emissions associated with Gracilaria cultivation in China.

The findings indicated that Gracilaria cultivation in China exhibited a substantial net carbon absorption rate of approximately 32.1-92.4 kilotons annually between 2011 and 2020, with a noteworthy upward trend. Notably, projections suggested that the average annual net carbon absorption of Gracilaria cultivation from 2021 to 2030 would double that of the previous decade, reaching 77.8-191.4 kilotons per year. This significant increase implies that Gracilaria cultivation could make a substantial contribution towards China's carbon peak target. Additionally, in a scenario involving the production of ruminant green feed with additional Gracilaria cultivation, each ton of macroalgae was estimated to reduce carbon emissions (specifically, methane) by 0.33-0.68 tons.

To summarize, this study proposes that marine macroalgae cultivation has the potential to create a synergistic relationship among carbon absorption, water purification, economic benefits, and methane reduction. It introduces a novel model that combines marine macroalgae cultivation, economic aquaculture, and green feed production to harness these synergistic effects.

See the article:

Xu Y, Liu H, Yang Y, Shen H, Zhang R, Wang C, Huang Z, He J, He Z, Yan Q. 2023. Assessment of carbon sink potential and methane reduction scenarios of marine macroalgae (Gracilaria) cultivation. Science China Earth Sciences, 66(5): 1047–1061, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-1053-3

Journal Link: Science China Earth Sciences