Spirulina culture in sea-water

Abstract

Laboratory experiments using small raceway ponds have shown that Spirulina maxima can be adapted easily to grow in sea-water supplemented with nitrate, phosphate, bicarbonate, and Fe-EDTA. To prevent precipitate formation, phosphate was supplied by diffusion through a dialysis membrane; the amount of Na-bicarbonate added was low (100 ppm) and the pH was kept in the range 8.6-8.8 by bubbling CO2 into the culture. No significant differences have been noticed in productivity or in the chemical composition of the biomass between cultures in sea-water and in the standard bicarbonate medium. Cultures subjected to light/dark cycles of 12/12 h showed a higher respiration rate in sea-water than in the bicarbonate medium. The higher weight loss in the sea-water medium in the dark was counterbalanced by an increased synthesis of carbohydrates during the light period. © 1984 Springer-Verlag.