Marine cyanobacteria as a potential source of biomass and chemicals

The mass culture in sea-water of three different cyanobacterial strains isolated from marine and hypersaline environments is described. Biomass yields and efficiencies of light energy conversion are reported both for laboratory and outdoor cultures. Gross chemical composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of the biomasses produced outdoors indicate that these organisms present a good potential as food or feed supplements. The production of an extracellular polysaccharide in a culture of a fourth cyanobacterial strain is also reported.