Seaweed is the term for all brown, red, and green algae visible to the naked eye. It has many uses, can grow extremely fast, and requires no arable land, freshwater, or fertilizer. There is growing interest in its use, and some species have been shown to reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle. Currently, these species are not available in large quantities. Jørgen Ulrik Graudal Levinsen has investigated whether some of these potentially methane reducing species can be harvested sustainably or cultivated. The work has included 3 of Denmark's 400+ species: bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), toothed wrack (Fucus serratus), and Dictyota dichotoma which has no common name in English. The results can contribute to sustainable seaweed harvesting and cultivation in Denmark and Europe, for both biomass utilization and marine conservation.

The PhD study was completed at the Section for Marine Ecology, Department of Ecoscience, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University. 

This résumé is prepared by the PhD student. 

Time: Thursday, June 4th at 10:00 AM 
Location: Building 1110, room 223, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus 
Thesis title: Procurement and cultivation of Fucus and Dictyota - Species novel to aquaculture and potential anti-methanogens in ruminants 
Contact info: Jørgen Ulrik Graudal Levinsen, e-mail: jugl@ecos.au.dk, tel.: +45 61609599
Assessment Committee:
Associate Professor Susan Løvstad Holdt, Research Group for Bioactive Substances – Analysis and Application, DTU National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark
Professor Christine Adair Maggs, Queen's University Belfast, Ireland
Professor Martin Søndergaard, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University (Chair)
Main Supervisor: Senior Researcher Annette Bruhn, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor: Professor Marianne Thomsen, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
Language: The PhD thesis will be defended in English.

The defense is public.

The thesis is available for inspection at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences (GSTS), Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.