Modelling Blue Carbon Ecosystem Services in Seaweed Aquaculture, North Sea.
Supervisor: Marilaure Gregoire (Uni. Liege)
Since the industrial era, massive use of fossil fuels has resulted in greenhouse gas emissions in the form of carbon dioxide, which brings cascading impact to the health of our oceans. Seaweed ecosystem is one of reservoirs that can potentially absorb these carbon emissions through the storage in biomass and sediment, but also conversion to renewable energy. In this study, we try to explore the vast potential of seaweed aquaculture in Belgian Part of the North Sea as Blue Carbon agent, at which simple mechanistic model of macroalgae was performed. By assessing all parameters affecting macroalgal dynamics, we find that temperature-dependent parameter (i.e., optTL, T_AR, and T_R1) holds highest level of sensitivity. Besides, half-saturation constant for nutrient uptake (ksDIN) and maximum erosion rate for frond area (maxEroRate) also computed as most sensitive ones, depicting positive association with all most sensitive parameters. Exact quantitively interplay between stored and released carbon could not be identified, leaving weight influences of parameters on variables as our first indication. We present simulated anthropogenic scenarios (i.e., warming temperature and eutrophication) to give us better understanding on its likelihood with potentiality of carbon sequestration and carbon loss. To our best knowledge, seasonal variations illustrate different behaviour of relevant biochemical processes, with growth dynamics as the most corresponding one.