Is it possible to harvest wild algae for biofuels?
• It is possible to harvest macroalgae like kelp, and this done all over the world as a source of food and fertilizer. However, these ecosystems can be very fragile and serve as nursery grounds for many species of fish and shellfish. It is unclear if these types of algae could withstand large-scale commercial harvest for the production of biofuels. Harvesting of microalgae is also difficult due to the small mesh net and the large area of ocean or lake you would have to cover to get any significant quantities of algae. You would most likely burn much more oil (fuel) than you could ever produce. Not to mention the potential ecosystem impacts of removing large quantities of the very food that the entire ecosystem depends on. There is also an issue of the bycatch of larvae of fish and shellfish that may also be present, many of which could be endangered or threatened.
