Exp.No:4d.

Additional nutrient supplement to improve seaweed growth by using soaking method

Aim:

To determine the effect of additional nitrate supplementation through the Soaking method
on seaweed growth & color in the field.

Objective:

 Soak the seaweeds in a Nitrate enriched seawater medium for a certain amount of
time, at specific intervals during the growth cycle of the seaweeds and observe the
produced effects.
 To measure any changes in growth rate and colour
 To observe the frond thickness and number of newly forming thallus.
 To find out any variation in epiphytic attachments due to said treatments.

Site Location: Test will be conducted in Mullaikadu, Tuticorin

Background:
Based on earlier studies by adding inorganic salts in seawater is to boost the seaweed culture.
We adopted this experiment through by soaking seaweed in enriched medium in 20 litre tub.
Depending upon the incubation time test results will be recorded.
Ammonium sulphate is previously used to enrich seawater nutrient in tank-based culture, and they
observed that it triggers seaweed growth, carragenan yield, gel strength and pigmentation etc.,
(Hutardo, 2002). Based on the previous finding inorganic salt is being used as a supplement for the
growth rate in our culture sites of Ramnad, Pudhukottai and Tuticorin districts.

Procedure
1. Healthy seaweed specimens were seeded into four 1-metre tube nets in mini rafts of 1m x 1m
size at a density of approximately 0.75 kg per metre of tube net.
Tube net size specification: 90 mm eye size and 4 to 5 eyes in circumference with HDPE twine
thickness: 1 mm.
2. Four numbers of such mini rafts are prepared, two will be used for control and two for
treatment and labelled as such
3. The source of the seed and the time it was kept out of water is noted.
4. Water sample of location was collected before the treatment, to be analyzed for general
seawater parameters.
5. A 50 litre tub is used as the soaking system. Into this tub, 20 litres of seawater is added and
20.2g of Potassium nitrate is added to achieve a final added concentration of 10 μmol/L
6. A 100 ml sample of this enriched seawater is stored in ice, to be analysed for total Nitrate
content.
7. The seaweeds from the two mini-rafts undergoing treatment are first measured to check their
weight and then dipped into the Enriched seawater and allowed to soak for 30 minutes.
8. During this period, the seaweed is shaken gently within the tub every 5 minutes
9. The seaweed is lifted out of the tub, and shaken to allow excess water to drain into the tub,
before being tied back into the mini-rafts
10. A 100 ml sample of the solution is taken and stored in ice to be analyzed later.
11. The seaweed tube nets are tied back into the Mini rafts.
 12. The control seaweeds are also measured to check for their weight.
13. This process is repeated once a week.
14. After 6 weeks, the seaweeds are harvested and the final weights are measured.

Materials Required per site

1. Drum of 50 Litre capacity
2. Nutrient mixture of 20.2 grams of Potassium Nitrate pre weighed
3. 4 baby rafts
4. Seed seaweed of about 15 kg
5. Tubenet approx. 16m
6. Measuring cylinder of 5L capacity
7. Sample bottles -4

Calculation:
Determining Nitrate concentrations to be used for the soaking method:
Based on the concentration of Provisolis enriched seawater.
Form the website:
Provisolis medium contains

Observations

Seed History:
Location:
Time of Harvesting:
Method of storage of seed:
Time back in water:
Total time out of water:

Date Time MiniRaft (C1) MiniRaft MiniRaft MiniRaft Nitrate Nitrate

(kg) (C2) (kg) (T1) (kg) (T2) (kg) before after
Soaking Soaking
(μmol/L) (μmol/L)
Week0
Week1
Week2
Week3
Week4
Week5
Week6

Date Seawater Max Temp Min Temp

Nitrate conc in prev week in prev
(μmol/L) week
Week0
Week1
Week2
Week3
Week4
Week5
Week6