Development of a suitability assessment model for the cultivation of intertidal macroalgae in the United States

Abstract

The focus of this novel study was to determine the comparative suitability of intertidal macroalgae production along the coast of the contiguous United States and determine the optimal locations to consider commercial cultivation using geographic information systems (GIS) software. Intertidal macroalgae cultivation represents an immense opportunity in the United States. The market demand for macroalgae has been growing and is expected to continue with the discovery of new uses. Currently, the coastal waters of the United States are extremely underutilized, particularly for macroalgae production. This study considered economic and environmental factors at a national scale, finally assessing the viability in a representative body of water with in-situ water sampling. The results of this study suggest that intertidal macroalgae cultivation is most ideally suited for the southeastern United States, primarily due to lower costs of production and more hospitable coastlines. Based on a limited water quality samples, it is feasible for macroalgae cultivation. However, due to the informational deficits, as acknowledged in this study, more work is required to refine and enhance the assessment model. This paper identifies these gaps and lists recommendations to overcome these knowledge gaps.