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Applied Seaweed Technology

Seaweed Blooms

Seaweed blooms have been an major issue globally. Specifically, Ulva and Sargassum blooms have damaged ecosystems and caused economic loss in Korea as well as in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

The MEGA Lab conducts international collaborative research projects to determine the causes of these blooms. More specifically, we study to understand regional and seasonal environmental characteristics on Ulva and Sargassum blooms in Jeju and the Yellow Sea. This lab also estimates potential ecosystem services (e.g. CDR and nutrient bioextraction) provided by these blooms in Jeju as well as in the Yellow Sea.

Biostimulants

Biostimulants are known to provide potential benefits to plants’ growth, development, and/or abiotic stresses. The MEGA Lab has developed a novel biostimulant, called SHE, extracted from the brown seaweed, Sargassum horneri.

This lab conducts research determining if SHE enhances the growth and thermal tolerance of major marine plants, including seaweeds and saltmarsh plants.

Methane Mitigation via Asparagopsis

Asparagopsis taxiformis produces and accumulates high concentration of bromoform, which effectively inhibits enteric methanogenesis. Therefore, A. taxiformis has received a lot of attention around the world due to its great economic and environmental values. However, its supply is mainly dependent on wild harvesting with high price. The MEGA Lab conducts research determining the life cycle of this alga and developing cultivation technology.