Harnessing Two Decades of Symbiotic Seaweed Farming to Develop Natural Microalgaecides and Pathogen Inhibitors for Sustainable Seaweed and Fish Cultivation | Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture

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Location	Funding	Institution	Principal Investigator(s)
	$99,617	University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa	Zhi-Yan (Rock) Du

Overall Goal
This project aims to identify and harness natural, plant-derived compounds with microalgaecidal and pathogen-inhibiting properties to establish healthier, more resilient and sustainable seaweed and fish farming systems in Hawaii.

Objectives
1. Identify bioactive compounds produced by sea asparagus that inhibit harmful microalgae and pathogens using untargeted metabolomics (GC-MS and LC-MS at the DU lab, MBBE Metabolomics Facility, and UC Davis West Coast Metabolomics Center) on systematically collected samples representing environmental and biological variability.
2. Validate compound activity in laboratory systems that mimic farm conditions, enabling precise evaluation of inhibitory effects and optimization of application conditions.
3. Conduct field trials at the Olakai Farm and Ocean Era Inc. to assess the effectiveness of the identified compounds in improving pond health, water quality, and the productivity of both seaweed and fish under commercial aquaculture settings.