Author: Wang Qing

Publisher: College of Life Science and Technology 

Date: October 21, 2024  

The interdisciplinary research team led by Professor Yang Yufeng and Dr. Wang Qing from the College of Life Science and Technology, along with Professor Shen Hongtao from the School of Management, has achieved a significant milestone by publishing a comprehensive review article in the prestigious journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (impact factor 16.3). The paper is titled Large scale seaweed culture as a natural solution for carbon negative economy and restorative environmental stewardship: Lessons from China.

 Overview of Key Findings

This study presents a thorough examination of the role of large-scale seaweed cultivation as a solution for a negative carbon economy and its potential for environmental remediation. It outlines how China, as the largest seaweed producer globally, contributes to sustainable and low-carbon development strategies.

Key Contributions:

- Historical Context: The review traces the evolution of seaweed cultivation in China and highlights notable cases that illustrate its ecological and economic benefits.

- Carbon Sequestration Impact: From 2003 to 2021, seaweed cultivation in China is reported to have reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 35.49–72.93 Tg. This is accomplished through the sequestration of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon and sedimentary organic carbon accumulation, representing 17.43–35.72% of the carbon initially fixed by the seaweeds.

- Innovative Sustainable Development Model: The study proposes the theory of seaweed-based sustainable mariculture as a viable model for achieving green and low-carbon economies.

- Global Relevance: It discusses how seaweed cultivation can mitigate global climate change, enhance carbon sequestration, reduce ocean acidification and hypoxia, and help control eutrophication and harmful algal blooms.

 Recommendations

The authors advocate for the promotion of large-scale seaweed cultivation in coastal countries as a sustainable solution, positioning it as a nature-based approach to global marine environmental challenges. The research offers a paradigm for establishing a blue carbon economy centered around seaweed.

 Contributions and Acknowledgments

Co-first authors of the paper include Associate Researcher Wang Qing from Jinan University and Associate Professor Sun Xian from Sun Yat-sen University. Professor Yang Yufeng serves as the corresponding author. Significant contributions also came from Professors Shen Hongtao, Dong Yahong, He Zhili, Senjie Lin, and Ik Kyo Chung, among others.

This study was supported by several organizations, including the independent research project of the Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Southern Ocean Science and Engineering (Zhuhai), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the United Nations Ocean Negative Emissions (ONCE) International Major Science Program.

For more detailed insights, the full paper can be accessed [here] 

(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.114954).