Biokos provides rapid parasite control in kelp seaweed nurseries.

Trade website WeAreAquaCulture picked up on a new paper illustrating a new application for Biokos®.

The Universities of British Columbia and Alaska Fairbanks published research showing that Biokos® can control parasitic contamination in kelp nurseries, eliminating ciliates within 24 hours while maintaining normal growth of the kelp seaweed Saccharina latissima.

Seaweed production is an increasingly important industry, with around 40 million tonnes produced annually. As well as food and feed, seaweed has many applications including biofuels, agricultural inputs and bio-degradable plastics.

Ciliate contamination is an important bottleneck in seaweed farming and can cause culture loss. The latest findings highlight the potential of Biokos®  to improve reliability and yield in kelp aquaculture.

Biokos® is extracted from a naturally-occurring microbe and was originally developed as a natural alternative to chemicals (such as formaldehyde) used in fish health. Sundew uses fermentation to produce it at scale.

The effectiveness of Biokos® in kelp production is the latest of a number of broader applications across a variety of aquatic systems.

We’re looking forward to seeing how we can develop this new application of Biokos® and eventually bring it to market.