We get asked this question, just about every day.   The answer is enough to saturate photosynthesis.  

• Too much light will damage the algae's pigments.
• Too little light and it will not grow as fast as it possibly could.

Saturating Intensity

This is the intensity of light where the plant is using all of it's pigments and is not wasting energy as heat and fluorescence.  OVER saturation, and the plant has to work to get rid of the energy.   UNDER saturation, and the plant will re-arrange the pigments to be more efficient with limited light.   

120uE/cm2 is a good general saturation intensity to maximize growth.  

What is too much light?  

• For a not very dense culture, (secchi disk depth <15cm) keep intensity <800uE/m2s
• For dense cultures (Secchi Disk Depth <4cm), you can go up to full sun, if the culture can stay under 32C (90F).   Light plus heat kills algae.  

This image is from the above experiment:

Water temperature was 38C with only glass protecting the culture, and 32C with the glass and the window screen.

Most all algae culture will die at 38-40C.   The ideal temperature for most cultures that ARS sells is 25-30C.   

-Matthew Huber

LEARNING PLAN OUTLINE

Name: Danielle Daugherty

Course: Child Development 130: Science and Math for Young Children

Curriculum Area: Science

Title/Name of Activity: Starter Test Tube Laboratory Kit

Age Group: Pre-K/Kindergarten – Second grade (Ages 4-8)

Source of Inspiration/Child Interest

• Once a year I go around to schools and provide a starter test tube laboratory kit for each child so they can explore different ways to use food coloring, seeds, water density, and investigate shape to volume. This activity can be done from ages 4-8 but may need some modifying depending on the age. Children are always amazed when they get to explore with different materials on their own and compare with what the person next to them did. This is a very hands-on experiment, so children will be able to learn through their own investigations.  

• Reference: https://algaeresearchsupply.com/collections/bubbling-beakers/products/starter-test-tube-research-set


Objectives: (what do you anticipate children will learn with specific reference to the California Preschool Learning Foundations) 


• Through this activity children will learn scientific inquiry through seeing what the colors do when you mix them together as well as learning what salt can do to the density of the water. They will also compare, observe, document, investigate measurement, and use predictions.
• The California Preschool Learning Foundations used are:

1.0-2.0 Scientific Inquiry: Observation and Investigation/ Documentation and Communication

1.0-2.0 Physical Sciences: Properties and Characteristics of non-living objects and materials/Changes in non-living objects and materials 

• Objectives:

1. They will compare what different colors do when mixed with each other
2. Observe growth from seeds and document what the roots are doing
3. Children will also investigate measurement using different beakers to investigate shape to volume ratios

Set-up and Location: This activity can be done indoors at tables or desks. Children should have either newspaper or paper towels on their desks in case of overflow.

Materials Needed:

• 1x test tube rack
• 8x test tubes
• 1x pipette
• 2x beakers
• 1x graduated cylinder
• colors for color mixing
• salt for water density experiments
• Paper towels or newspaper

Procedure:

1. Prepare desks or tables by laying down paper towels or newspaper. Give each child a test tube kit that they may use for their investigations.
2. First start by explaining to the children that the start of the experiment is to mix colors to investigate what two colors mixed together will change into a different color.
3. The second part of the experiment is to test density with salt water. Fill up the test tubes with different amounts of salt water (Tube 1- no salt, Tube 2- pinch of salt, Tube 3 1/8 teaspoons of slat, Tube 4- ¼ teaspoon of salt, Tube 5- ½ teaspoon of salt, Tube 6- 1 teaspoon of salt, Tube 7- ½ Tablespoon of salt, Tube 8- 1 tablespoon of salt). Experiment to see which test tube can layer colors on top of each other because of their density. To do this very carefully use your pipette and drop one color at a time into the test tubes. You should observe the colors beginning to stack on top of each other instead of just mixing. Children should observe which tube stacks the colors better and what happens when they try to stack the colors without any salt in the tube (Tube 1).

• Vocabulary:
• Observation
• Documentation
• Investigate
• Scientific Inquiry
• Test Tube
• Graduated Cylinder
• Density
• Measurement

• Open Ended Questions:

• What happens to the colors when you mix them together?
• What happens to the colors that have more salt in their tubes?
• Can you get the colors to stack on top of each other?

Limits and Guidance Suggestions: Depending on the age group of the class they may need adult assistance when mixing colors and getting them to stack. Each child should have their own test tube kit to investigate with.

Extensions of Activity: Children can go into their own environments and test different types of water to see if they have salt and try stacking the colors themselves. Teachers can also use the book “Things that float, and things that don’t” by David A Adler to express to the children that everything has a different density.

A second part of this extension is to germinate the seeds in the test tubes and observe what happens to them in the weeks to come.

LEARNING PLAN OUTLINE

Name: Danielle Daugherty

Course: Child Development 130: Science and Math for Young Children

Curriculum Area: Science

Title/Name of Activity: Starter Test Tube Laboratory Kit

Age Group: Pre-K/Kindergarten – Second grade (Ages 4-8)

Source of Inspiration/Child Interest

• Once a year I go around to schools and provide a starter test tube laboratory kit for each child so they can explore different ways to use food coloring, seeds, water density, and investigate shape to volume. This activity can be done from ages 4-8 but may need some modifying depending on the age. Children are always amazed when they get to explore with different materials on their own and compare with what the person next to them did. This is a very hands-on experiment, so children will be able to learn through their own investigations.  

• Reference: https://algaeresearchsupply.com/collections/bubbling-beakers/products/starter-test-tube-research-set


Objectives: (what do you anticipate children will learn with specific reference to the California Preschool Learning Foundations) 


• Through this activity children will learn scientific inquiry through seeing what the colors do when you mix them together as well as learning what salt can do to the density of the water. They will also compare, observe, document, investigate measurement, and use predictions.
• The California Preschool Learning Foundations used are:

1.0-2.0 Scientific Inquiry: Observation and Investigation/ Documentation and Communication

1.0-2.0 Physical Sciences: Properties and Characteristics of non-living objects and materials/Changes in non-living objects and materials 

• Objectives:

1. They will compare what different colors do when mixed with each other
2. Observe growth from seeds and document what the roots are doing
3. Children will also investigate measurement using different beakers to investigate shape to volume ratios

Set-up and Location: This activity can be done indoors at tables or desks. Children should have either newspaper or paper towels on their desks in case of overflow.

Materials Needed:

• 1x test tube rack
• 8x test tubes
• 1x pipette
• 2x beakers
• 1x graduated cylinder
• colors for color mixing
• salt for water density experiments
• Paper towels or newspaper

Procedure:

1. Prepare desks or tables by laying down paper towels or newspaper. Give each child a test tube kit that they may use for their investigations.
2. First start by explaining to the children that the start of the experiment is to mix colors to investigate what two colors mixed together will change into a different color.
3. The second part of the experiment is to test density with salt water. Fill up the test tubes with different amounts of salt water (Tube 1- no salt, Tube 2- pinch of salt, Tube 3 1/8 teaspoons of slat, Tube 4- ¼ teaspoon of salt, Tube 5- ½ teaspoon of salt, Tube 6- 1 teaspoon of salt, Tube 7- ½ Tablespoon of salt, Tube 8- 1 tablespoon of salt). Experiment to see which test tube can layer colors on top of each other because of their density. To do this very carefully use your pipette and drop one color at a time into the test tubes. You should observe the colors beginning to stack on top of each other instead of just mixing. Children should observe which tube stacks the colors better and what happens when they try to stack the colors without any salt in the tube (Tube 1).

• Vocabulary:
• Observation
• Documentation
• Investigate
• Scientific Inquiry
• Test Tube
• Graduated Cylinder
• Density
• Measurement

• Open Ended Questions:

• What happens to the colors when you mix them together?
• What happens to the colors that have more salt in their tubes?
• Can you get the colors to stack on top of each other?

Limits and Guidance Suggestions: Depending on the age group of the class they may need adult assistance when mixing colors and getting them to stack. Each child should have their own test tube kit to investigate with.

Extensions of Activity: Children can go into their own environments and test different types of water to see if they have salt and try stacking the colors themselves. Teachers can also use the book “Things that float, and things that don’t” by David A Adler to express to the children that everything has a different density.

A second part of this extension is to germinate the seeds in the test tubes and observe what happens to them in the weeks to come. This is a great life science experiment because the children will see what the root does through the clear test tubes.

Questions for extension:

• What do you think is going to happen to the seeds when they start growing?

Role of Other Adults: Assistance may be needed for younger children when using the color mixing experiment.  

References:

Algae Research Supply (2017). Bubbling Beakers. Retrieved from: https://algaeresearchsupply.com/collections/bubbling-beakers

. 


is a great life science experiment because the children will see what the root does through the clear test tubes.

Questions for extension:

• What do you think is going to happen to the seeds when they start growing?

Role of Other Adults: Assistance may be needed for younger children when using the color mixing experiment.  

References:

Algae Research Supply (2017). Bubbling Beakers. Retrieved from: https://algaeresearchsupply.com/collections/bubbling-beakers

. 


I recently had a student write to ask about phosphorus limitation for nutrient limitation.

The questions were:

• Which strains to use?
• Which media to use?
• How do I do it?

.  

The potential uses for algae are numerous, from biofuels to medicine to a sustainable food source for humans. But algae innovations are also critical for important work in marine science and conservation. Most marine organisms start their life cycle eating algae, and for researchers trying to bring species back from the brink of extinction, a healthy diet from day one is a critical part of the process.

White Abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) is one of those species; prized for their flavorful meat, many abalone species were fished down to critical numbers. The white abalone population has been slow to recover and it is currently listed as one of NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight, an effort to highlight the most critically endangered species and the work being done to recover their populations. Dr Kristin Aquilino of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab is working to save the species, and shares how algae plays an important role in her quest.

Please describe your organization:

I direct the white abalone captive breeding program for UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory and NOAA. We are growing endangered white abalone in captivity with the goal to place them back out in the wild and save their species from extinction.

What species of algae do you work with?

We primarily work with Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp), Palmaria mollis (dulse), and Navicula sp. We are also just starting to use encrusting coralline algae.

Figure 1 Fresh dulse aglae ready to be fed to growing abalone

How did you decide to use those species?

Red abalone farmers, particularly Doug Bush at The Cultured Abalone Farm, have been instrumental in helping us identify the best algal diets for our abalone at each life stage.

Do you use different species of algae for different purposes?

We use macroalgae to optimize growth and reproductive condition among our adult white abalone. Our abalone love kelp – it’s like a Twinkie to them: delicious, but lacking the nutritional quality of other algal species. So, we feed them protein-rich dulse as well. They’re definitely not as into the dulse, but it helps improve their growth and reproductive condition. Kids must eat their health food, too!

Figure 2 Juvenile white abalone grazing on dulse

We use Navicula as a settlement cue and first diet for our newly-settled abalone. It’s the perfect size to fit into their tiny, newly-developed mouths. Even after we transition our 5- to 6-month-old abalone from their Navicula “baby food” to their macroalgal diet of dulse and giant kelp, we continue to occasionally feed Navicula through the first couple of years.

We are starting to experiment with using encrusting coralline algae as a settlement cue. Encrusting coralline algae acts like a natural landing pad for larval abalone in the wild, and we’re hoping it will help us improve captive production.

Figure 3 Newly settled baby white abalone grazing on halos algae

How do you get the algae?

We harvest giant kelp from the wild, usually by wading out during low tied. We maintain a culture dulse onsite. We purchase Navicula from Reed Mariculture. So far, we have either harvested encrusting coralline from the wild or gotten it to recruit onto substrate held in tanks in Southern California and transported it north to our lab. We are hopeful to try to start our own encrusting coralline culture.

Have you had any problems with algae cultivation/use in the past?

We have trouble collecting wild kelp in the wintertime, as it is in low abundance on the Northern California coast in the winter due to storms. We also tend to have lower dulse abundance during that time. It is very difficult to get encrusting coralline algae to grow in our systems, but we are collaborating with others at Bodega Marine Lab to try to find ways to optimize its growth.

It’s clear that a healthy wild population of algae, as well as advancements in lab-grown algae both contribute to this important work. Thanks to this collective effort, the captive breeding program has thousands of white abalone growing, which gives hope to restoring the wild population in the future. Learn more about Dr Aquilino’s and the Bodega Marine Lab’s efforts to save white abalone on her webpage.

Interview by Cannon Purdy

Congratulations Tyler on your algae growing project!!!

Dr. Krista Hennig from Lassell College recently used Algae Research and Supply's algae for her non-majors biology class.    They investigated the factors that effect algae growth by varying:

1. pH
2. Temperature
3. Salinity
4. Chlorine presence
5. Using rainwater recapture

They used spectrophotometers set to 750nM to quantify the growth of the algae.  

The project worked so well- they sent us pictures!   

Thank You Dr. Henning for having us be part of your students projects!

Recording data

Measuring out algae 

Spirulina Culture

Pouring the algae into Erlenmeyer flasks for culturing

Microscope investigation with wet mounts

Algae tests growing out for a week

Hand drawing of spirulina under a microscope

Student preparing a wet mount slide for microscopic examination

Growing algae to feed to your self or animals is absolutely fun, but you need to keep in mind that there are risks involved.   This article outlines some of the risks, and how to avoid them.

Lawyer talk:  Algae Research and Supply offers no guarantee warranty or prediction that growing algae for human or animal consumption will be safe.  While many algae and cyanobacteria strains are consumed by humans and animals, dangers may themselves during the culturing of the organisms that could be deleterious to health.

Now that that is out is out of the way, lets get to the suggestions:

Buy commercially grown spirulina:  If you want to completely mitigate risk, buy your chlorella from a reputable grower and your Spirulina from Earthrise Nutritionals.  I am biased for Earthrise because I used to work there, and because they know their business very well.  They have multiple checks for pathogens, toxins, heavy metals, and test the dried product for pathogens as well.   Imported spirulina especially from China and India consistently fail quality tests.  You could be damaging your body should you consume the cheap stuff.  

Keep your water around pH 10.  This alone 'should' mitigate pathogen growth (although read lawyer talk above).  Spirulina is an extremophile and can grow at this high pH where most algae 'weeds' and pathogens can not.  It makes it a simple barrier.   Use our pH meter to prove to yourself that you are keeping the pH right.   Keep in mind that as photosynthesis progresses the pH will increase as CO2 (carbonic acid) is fixed into biomasss.  Our Media Kit is specially buffered to start around pH 9.75 to provide you with 2-3 batches of algae without having to add more CO2.  

Get rid of detritus.  Just like Mufasa told Symba "hey kid, stuff dies, don't eat the decomposing stuff."  Ok...so he really didn't say that in the movie, but I'm sure it was a lesson.  In the circle-of-spirulina-life, there will always be a constant rain of detritus.  Every couple days in a healthy culture you need discard the chunks of dead algae that collect at the bottom.   If you leave it there it will decompose, and likely create a new habitat for bad things to grow.  Those bad things can directly make you sick, or be a catalyst for your culture to get sick.  

Use common sense.  If it smells bad, do not eat it.  Your body has millions of years of evolution (or intelligent design, if you roll that way) training your taste buds and nose will give you a lot of data.  If it is gross, trust me you will know.  

Heat dry your product.  Oven bake it to completely dry, and hold it at a temperature above 212F (100c) for a while to kill off pathogens.  

Congratulations on an amazing art project by our costomer Alison Hiltner!  She has bridged art and biology with her display now featured at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  Her project is called "It Is Yesterday".  

"When a viewer blows into this apparatus, there's a CO2 sensor that collects data from their breath, and then interprets that data through an Arduino that then turns on and off the aeration pumps," -Hiltner 

Minnesota Public Radio Report

Alison Hiltner's Website

Great work, Alison!