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Fish feed

More than half of the world’s fish consumption is now sourced from commercial aquaculture facilities.

Micro-algae are an important food source and feed additive in the commercial rearing of many aquatic animals, especially the larvae and spat of bivalve molluscs, penaeid prawn larvae and live food organisms such as rotifers.

The importance of algae in aquaculture is not surprising as algae are the natural food source of these animals. Although several alternatives for algae exist such as yeasts and microencapsulated feeds, live algae are still the best and the preferred food source.

In the past, the major constraint on micro-algal production for aquaculture has been the cost.

For example, a survey of Australian hatcheries shows that they estimate that, on average, 30 - 40% (max. 70%) of hatchery costs can be attributed to algal culture. Estimates of the cost of aquaculture based on surveys of Australian and overseas hatcheries range from about $80 to greater than $800 per kilogram dry weight. *

MBD Energy Limited’s technology and knowhow offers aquaculture producers reduced costs and higher yields, whilst simultaneously offering macro-algae solutions for the treatment of nutrient rich waste water run-off from production tanks and ponds.

MBD’s continuous culture systems allow better control of culture conditions to optimise the nutritional value of the algae cultured and reduce production costs. MBD’s ability to concentrate and preserving the algae permit larger volumes of algae to be grown, concentrated and shipped to the hatcheries, thus reducing production costs and providing a more reliable supply of algae.

Microalgae such as Dunaliella salina, Haematococcus pluvialis and Spirulina are also used as a source of natural pigments for the culture of prawns, salmonid fish and ornamental fish.

*Source, Murdoch University

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Algal Sequestration Algal Sequestration utilises abundant sunlight, captured flue gases, and waste water to grow valuable algal biomass on a large scale and on a continuous and fully enclosed and controlled basis. Read more ∇		‘BAGS’ System MBD has developed its own method of culturing photosynthetic organisms for large scale production. The ‘BAGS’ system is a unique solution to to large scale algae cultivation and harvest. Read more ∇
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