In this week’s post, I would like to discuss the use of algae within the ocean ecosystems as a possible source of energy. One of the biggest issues with energy production is finding a source that is both eco-friendly and abundant. I remember in my High School AP Chemistry class, my teacher assigned a project where we had to choose one source of energy present in our society today and debate why our energy source is the best. My friend and I chose wind energy, however, after listening to presentations and completing the debates, I was frightened by the amount of damage many popular sources of energy cause on the environment. My mom actually sent me an article posted by Penn State this past week about scientists studying glacial algae, and it inspired me to do some research on the possible use of algae as an energy source.

Algae are photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms which live and thrive in aquatic environments. There are approximately 30,000 to 1 million different types of algae species. They are a vital life form in the ocean and are the primary food source for organisms at the bottom of the food chain, such as krill. However, algae is a very abundant species and can grow in almost every aquatic environment, from the freezing, Arctic waters to the warm, Caribbean seas. 

Currently, researchers and different companies are researching the commercial production and use of algae farming as a source of “biofuels such as vegetable oil, biodiesel, biogasoline, biomethanol, bioethanol, and biobutanol”. Energy and fuels produced from algae are an eco-friendly, easily accessible, and natural alternative to fossil fuels. Some benefits of algae farming and algae fuel include: the carbon dioxide released when harvesting algae is absorbed from the air by the newly growing algae, which does not occur when producing fossil fuels, the algae harvesting process is non-toxic and does not contain sulfur, the harvest of algae has less impact on freshwater sources, and the residue produced after extracting the oil from algae can be used as animal or livestock feed and soil fertilizer. Also, researchers state that algae farming can produce 10 to 100 times more fuel per unit area in comparison to other biofuel crops. 

However, with any possible fuel source, there are some disadvantages to algae farming. One of the issues with harvesting algae is the expensive cost of the algae growth and oil extraction. Also, it is extremely difficult to locate, identify, and grow the right species of algae for algae farming and fuel production out of more than 30,000 different species. Despite these disadvantages, companies such as Solix Algredients are focusing on finding the most effective and useful mechanisms to grow large scale algae farms. This specific company is “owned and operated by an Indian tribe known as Southern Utes in Colorado” and they have started to sell equipment to consumers who want to start algae farming. 

It is important for scientists, researchers, and communities to start considering different sources of energy that offer limited damage to the ecosystem. There are many different factors that go into finding renewable energy sources and it will continue to be a topic of intense debate, however, it is inspiring to see that researchers are attempting to find new energy sources that deviate away from harmful fossil fuels.