Abstract
Biomass is defined as organic matter from living organisms represented in all kingdoms. It is recognized to be an excellent source of proteins, polysaccharides and lipids and, as such, embodies a tailored feedstock for new products and processes to apply in green industries. The industrial processes focused on the valorization of terrestrial biomass are well established, but marine sources still represent an untapped resource. Oceans and seas occupy over 70% of the Earth’s surface and are used intensively in worldwide economies through the fishery industry, as logistical routes, for mining ores and exploitation of fossil fuels, among others. All these activities produce waste. The other source of unused biomass derives from the beach wrack or washed-ashore organic material, especially in highly eutrophicated marine ecosystems. The development of high-added-value products from these side streams has been given priority in recent years due to the detection of a broad range of biopolymers, multiple nutrients and functional compounds that could find applications for human consumption or use in livestock/pet food, pharmaceutical and other industries. This review comprises a broad thematic approach in marine waste valorization, addressing the main achievements in marine biotechnology for advancing the circular economy, ranging from bioremediation applications for pollution treatment to energy and valorization for biomedical applications. It also includes a broad overview of the valorization of side streams in three selected case study areas: Norway, Scotland, and the Baltic Sea.
Highlights
Marine biomass represents a biotechnological resource with great diversity in composition and functional properties due to various bioactive compounds, from polyphenols and peptides to polysaccharides
The conditions below decaying beach wrack favor nitrification, which reduces the nitrogen removal from the water. These results indicate that beach wrack removal from the beach can prevent both – pollutants and nutrients scavenged from plants and algae during their lifetime in the sea from re-entry to the coastal waters
To effectively valorize marine waste, promising perspectives must be considered, namely: (a) the development of mechanical technology for the harvesting of the biomass; (b) the development of chemical and biological pipelines to conserve and/or process marine biomass; (c) the market search to maximize the potential use in the various industries; (d) the employment of communication strategies to raise awareness, increase consumers’ acceptance on the potential greener technologies or public health improvement through enhanced waste-originated food or feed ingredients as well as biomedicals; (e) the promotion of public and private funding toward innovation and technology development, while addressing the potential legislative bottlenecks; and (f) the application of eco-friendly principles to production systems
Summary
Marine biomass represents a biotechnological resource with great diversity in composition and functional properties due to various bioactive compounds, from polyphenols and peptides to polysaccharides. Different species of marine algae have been used to remove various metal ions, colorants (dyes) and other pollutants from water
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