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Microalgae: a sustainable feed source for aquaculture

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Abstract

The need for nutritional sources safer than traditional animal products has renewed interest generally in plants and particularly in microalgae. Microalgae have diverse uses in aquaculture, their applications are mainly to provide nutrition and to enhance the colour of the flesh of salmonids. The larvae of molluscs, echinoderms and crustaceans as well as some fish larvae feed on microalgae. Several studies have confirmed that a live multi-specific, low bacterial and microalgal biomass remains essential for shellfish hatcheries. Major advances are expected from new production system, designs and operations from batch run open tanks to more sophisticated continuously-run and closed loop reactors. Currently, studies are underway to examine the cost-effectiveness of the on- and off-site microalgal production systems which can only be achieved by substantial scaling-up and improved quality control. In order to attain sustainability in the usage of microalgae, a systems-based approach is required which integrates different fields such as biotechnology, bioprocess and management procedures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Velusubramani, Senior Scientist, Refining Technology, The British Petroleum Company Ltd., Chicago, USA and Prof. R. Manivasakan, Indian Institute of Technology Madras for their critical review of the manuscript.

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  1. R. Raja

    Present address: Research and Development, Aquatic Energy LLC, Lake Charles, LA, 70605, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India

    S. Hemaiswarya & R. Raja

  2. Research and Development, Aquatic Energy LLC, Lake Charles, LA, 70605, USA

    R. Ravi Kumar

  3. Acme ProGen Biotech (India) Private Limited, Balaji Nagar, Salem, 636 004, India

    V. Ganesan

  4. Department of Botany, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, 608 002, India

    C. Anbazhagan

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  1. S. Hemaiswarya
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Hemaiswarya, S., Raja, R., Ravi Kumar, R. et al. Microalgae: a sustainable feed source for aquaculture. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 27, 1737–1746 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-010-0632-z

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