Variation in biochemical composition of Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata along an estuarine salinity gradient in inner Danish waters

In European kelp cultivation, knowledge on the spatial variation in biomass productivity and quality needs to be established. The present study provides a detailed overview of the biochemical composition and biomass production potential of Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata along a salinity gradient (16–31 PSU) in inner Danish waters. We discuss the results in a cultivation perspective, and evaluate the potential use of Laminariales as an energy feedstock, a feed additive and a bioremediation tool for mitigating eutrophication. We found the highest biomass production potential, the highest protein content (7.5% of dry matter), and the highest capacity for bio-remediation of nitrogen (1.88% N of dry matter) at high salinities, as opposed to the highest concentrations of fermentable sugars (90% of dry matter) and pigments at low salinities. Thus, areas suitable for high biomass production are not necessarily optimal for producing a specific biomass quality such as high carbohydrate concentration for bioenergy conversion, and this challenges the cultivation practice. Furthermore, concentrations of arsenic in the biomass were generally higher (up to 88 ppm) than allowed for animal diet (40 ppm) and could therefore impose challenges for utilizing S. latissima and L. digitata as animal feed additives.