Bioharvesting

Researchers are assessing whether cultivating seaweed and mussels in Long Island Sound to extract nutrients will improve water quality. In one project, UConn marine scientists  Charles Yarish and Jang Kim are  leading a team cultivating Gracilaria, a seaweed, in Long Island Sound and the mouth of the Bronx River. The seaweed takes in nitrogen from the waters and then will be harvested. In the photo, Yarish and Kim, center, are pulling the seaweed attached to lines in an area off Bridgeport Harbor (on Sept. 15, 2011). The research vessel belongs to the Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture School, a partner in the project. Another project  with NOAA aquaculture scientists from the Milford Laboratory in Connecticut, Carter Newell, a commercial shell fisherman, and students from Rocking the Boat involves growing  ribbed mussels at the mouth of the Bronx River in order to remove nutrients. Visit [intlink id=”nutrient-bioextraction-overview” type=”page”]nutrient bioextraction [/intlink] for more information.