Establishing Aquaculture Frameworks for the Methane-Mitigating Rhodophyta, Asparagopsis taxiformis

Rising amounts of methane, a gas with a global warming potential nearly 30 times that of CO₂, are currently being emitted by the ruminant livestock industry. This industry currently accounts for nearly a quarter of all global methane emissions, pointing to the urgent need to identify methods for methane mitigation in farming ruminants. There is a growing body of evidence on the potential use of the macroalgae genus Asparagopsis to this end as a natural cattle feed supplement which has been observed to reduce ruminant methane production by up to 98%. A series of in vitro assays revealed that the California naturalized species Asparagopsis taxiformis (At) reduced simulated enteric methane emissions by up to 50% when used as a 1% feed supplement (Brooke, et al. 2018). Through a NIFA SBIR grant with Carlsbad Aquafarm, our team has established research developing methods for vegetatively propagating the tetrasporophyte stage of At development while simultaneously exploring approaches to open ocean out-growth. The biomass produced is intended to be used in more exhaustive in vivo research trials and will continue establishing base-line research into efficient down-stream applications for the commercial cultivation of At.