Mitigating Livestock Methane Emissions with Marine Algae

The state of Florida, known for its extensive coastline and abundant marine resources, presents a unique opportunity to explore the potential of marine algae as a protein source for livestock while mitigating enteric methane emissions. With tourism and agriculture being the primary economic drivers in Florida, finding sustainable and affordable solutions for food production poses significant challenges, as well as opportunities. This study aims to investigate the viability of marine algae as a sustainable solution to address these challenges by providing high-quality protein and reducing enteric methane emissions in livestock systems within the state.

To achieve this, a collaborative partnership has been established with Netuno, USA Inc. and Two Docks Shellfish, LLC, focusing on cultivating and harvesting algae in the Tampa Bay area. The harvested macro algae will be subjected to in vitro incubations at varying inclusion rates to simulate different dietary effects. Algae showing promising results will be selected for further growth in tanks under controlled conditions. Subsequently, the selected algae will be tested on Angus crossbred heifers at NFREC, where both their performance and enteric methane emissions will be evaluated.

Implementing algae-based feed additives provides an opportunity for farmers to contribute to greenhouse gas reduction efforts while maintaining livestock productivity. However, additional research is required to optimize algae-based formulations, assess long-term effects, and address scalability and cost-effectiveness challenges. Successful integration of marine algae into livestock systems can pave the way for more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture enterprises, thus contributing to the empowering of coastal communities.