Técnicas de maricultura da macroalga vermelha Gracilaria birdiae na praia de Flecheiras, Trairi/Ce: efeito de parâmetros ambientais e climáticos sobre a produção de biomassa e extração de ágar

Abstract

The red seaweed Gracilaria birdiae, abundant in Ceará, produce, among other polysaccharides, agar, a ficocolóide of great commercial importance because of its thickening properties, stabilizers and gelling agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the climatic and environmental parameters in Flecheiras Beach –Trairi, through the dry and rainy season on the production yield of the biomass of G. birdiae, using conventional Long Line (LL) and Long Line with tubular net (RT) and on the yield of agar extraction from cultured seaweed. The LL technique consisted of 4 modules of 10 mm twisted polystyrene rope and the RT was composed of 4 modules of 0.7 mm nylon tubular net and 7 cm internodes, both of which were kept anchored and suspended on the surface of the column Water by buoys. The initial biomass of G.birdiae used in each module was 1.2 kg. The biomass yield (RB), the Daily Growth Rate (TCD) of the seaweed, the environmental parameters (pH, salinity, N-NH3 / NH4 +, N-NO2-, N-NO3- and PO43-) and the yield of agar were evaluated during the dry seasons (July to December) and rainy (January to June) in periods of cultivation of 30 and 45 days. The climatic parameters (cumulative precipitation and mean wind velocity) of the culture site were supplied monthly by FUNCEME. The highest RB were obtained in the dry season, reaching 0.85 kg m-1 for RT in 45 days of cultivation, as well as the highest TCDs, with a maximum of 5% day-1, despite the high wind speeds observed for this season. The lowest RB and TCD were observed in the rainy season (0.16 kg m-1 and 0.6% day-1 for RT45 respectively). The yields agar extraction of the cultivated seaweed varied between 11 and 20%, but without significant difference, as well as the values of environmental parameters (pH, N-NO3-, PO43-) between dry and rainy seasons. N-NH3 / NH4 + was detected only in the rainy season. Therefore, Flecheiras Beach, Trairi-Ce presented as a potential site for the cultivation of G. birdiae through the LL and RT techniques, reaching commercially viable high RB and TCD, but such indices were significantly influenced by the dry and Rainy season, and alterations and adaptations of the crop structures are necessary to the climatic conditions presented by each season of the year aiming to optimize the production of algal biomass.