ABSTRACT
Dwindling oil and phosphorous reserves, climate change-induced unstable weather patterns, rising seawater levels, and sea surface temperatures are global challenges interlinked with and exacerbated by a rapidly growing human population with increased energy, fuel, and food demands. The world population is predicted to increase from 7 to 9 billion people by 2050-an increase of 47% from the year 2000 (UN 2004), requiring secure energy, fuel, and food resources, which are prerequisites for stable economic growth and social stability (world peace). Clean freshwater resources and arable land are already scarce in some developing nations and the impact of climate-induced changes in global rainfall patterns, temperatures, weather stability, and rising sea levels, which are thought to be tightly linked with rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are predicted to add enormous pressures on these scarce and life-enabling resources, particularly in countries with densely populated coastal areas and little inland arable land availability, more intense population growth, and island/delta communities (e.g., North Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia and
18.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 389 18.2 Biology of Microalgae: Cell Physiology and Photosynthesis ............................................... 392
18.2.1 Hetero-and Mixotrophy ........................................................................................... 393 18.2.2 Photosynthesis (Autotrophy) ..................................................................................... 393 18.2.3 Accessory Pigments for Light Harvesting ................................................................ 395 18.2.4 Fertilization .............................................................................................................. 396
18.3 Critical Factors for Microalgal Growth ................................................................................ 398 18.3.1 Light and Temperature.............................................................................................. 398 18.3.2 Fertilization ..............................................................................................................400 18.3.3 Trace Metals ............................................................................................................. 401
18.4 Mass Cultivation Systems ..................................................................................................... 401 18.5 Bioproducts from Microalgae ............................................................................................... 410 18.6 Case Study: Aquaculture Industry ........................................................................................ 413
18.6.1 Goal and Scope ......................................................................................................... 414 18.6.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 415
18.7 Case Study: Agricultural Industry ........................................................................................ 417 18.8 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 419 References ...................................................................................................................................... 420
climate change-induced freshwater availability, as its population is predicted to increase to 20% of the world population, up by 7% from previous estimates (UN 2004). In addition to negative impacts on socio-economic development, particularly in already arid or semi-arid regions, climate change is also expected to adversely affect agricultural productivity and therefore food security and health, the latter through increase in disease and decreasing freshwater quality (IPCC 2007; IDA 2007).
