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The General Electric, Cal-Tech, Institute of Gas Technology farm is one example 

 of what might be called "nutrient irrigation." It appears from preliminary data that 

 the application of upwelled water (which is nutrient rich) to young kelp plants, will 

 increase their growth rates by a factor of four (Gerard, personal communication). 

 We have used commercial fertilizer to produce increases in yield, also in prelimi- 

 nary experiments. The Chinese and Japanese have also applied fertilizers to macro- 

 algal crop plants. Thus it seems that the question is not whether or not nutrient 

 irrigation will work, but how to make it work most effectively. 



In making estimates about large scale open ocean farms, it is useful to consider 

 the large area of sea surface now occupied by the Sargasso sea. Here floating brown 

 algae occur over some 2 million square miles of sea surface. The fixation of nitrogen 

 by blue-green algal epiphytes on the plants, provides a major portion of the needed 

 nutrients (at least nitrogen). There is a natural recycling of other nutrients in the 

 floating plant clumps. One might say that while the productivity in the Sargasso sea 

 is low, so is the cost (which is zero). 



In conclusion, it can be seen that floating macro-algae occur both naturally in 

 kelp forests and in the Sargasso Sea over substantial areas of the sea surface. Man- 

 made farms in Japan and China occupy significant areas of sea surface as well. 

 Scientifically-based macro-algal mariculture has existed for less than thirty years, 

 mostly in the orient where substantial progress has been made. In my opinion it is 

 unduely pessimistic to contend that the scientific establishment in the United States 

 cannot design, test and operate effective open ocean, macro-algal farms for the 

 future production of food and energy. One need only look at the tremendous produc- 

 tivity of U.S. agriculture, as an example of what can be achieved in a short period of 

 time. U.S. mariculture is just beginning. The potential of a renewable food and 

 energy source from mariculture is such that it should certainly be given a chance. 



Mr. Studds. Thank you very much, Dr. Neushul. 



Has it occurred, to your knowledge, to anyone at the Department 

 of Energy to go talk to some of these folks in China and Japan 

 while they are still, as you put it, alive and kicking? 



