Marine microalgal biomass production in indigenous photobioreactor: Kinetic modelling and downstream processing

Aquaculture plays a vital role by offering better nutrition and a source of income to many countries. Marine microalgae being a nutritionally rich source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, are the natural food source for the larval stages of many aquaculture organisms. However, only a few species are being used in aquaculture, and therefore, the development of new marine microalgal species is essential for fish seed production and the diversification of aquaculture. In this context, different marine microalgal species isolated from the east and west coasts of India have been screened for the growth, survival, and reproduction of the copepod, followed by their molecular identification and biochemical composition analyses. Thus, new isolates of marine microalgal species could be identified as potential candidates as live feeds in aquaculture, which are progressed towards mass production in an indigenously developed photobioreactor and thus can be utilized for the feeding of fish and shellfish larvae.