Production of microalgal paste in the Philippines

Abstract

Technical advances have made possible the production of microalgal concentrate in paste form. Chaetoceros calcitrans was concentrated and made into an algal paste through centrifugation, chemical flocculation, and electrolytic flocculation. The paste can be stored up to three months when refrigerated, and is diluted with seawater for feeding to the tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon. This can also be done with other cultured diatoms, and they can be fed to other penaeid shrimp and other organisms such as the Sydney rock oyster and the Pacific oyster. The use of algal paste can simplify hatchery operations and reduce costs among hatcheries with no microalgal culture facilities.