Jones, Michael and all future friends of the Gyre Algaculture Company (Vortigro ? ;-), I am afraid that the Canary islands would probably be the worst possible harvesting location for our North Atlantic Gyre farming operation.
I have found this map of the sargassum distribution at http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/graphics/seagpic.gif : The best place for harvesting seems to be near the Bermuda islands (little dot at NW of the hatched circle where the sargassum has the highest density), while the best place for seeding, if any seeding is needed, could remain the Canary islands, or may be the Azores (at the NE end of the solid line zone). This is because floating things, while going round the Gyre, tend to collect from the periphery to the "eye" (we Vorts have known all along that the solution would involve a vortex haven't we ? ;-), including garbage especially plastics (free recyclable plastic as a bonus!), see e.g. in the North Pacific Gyre (another one of the 5 major Gyres: the S and N Atlantic, the S and N Pacific, and the Indian Ocean Gyres): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch The eye is also the "top of the hill" (1 or 2m above average ocean level), and the place where decaying algae (and decaying-whatever-ends-up-there including of course wrecked ships, ocean floor must be interesting there!) sink in the central downwards current. All comments, facts, ideas, criticisms welcome, like Richard said united Vortician talents could do wonders on a project like this. Michel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jones Beene" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <vortex-l@eskimo.com> Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 6:24 PM Subject: Re: [Vo]:Re: Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy' > Nice posting Michel, > > I can envision a fleet of large ocean going catamaran > vessels, hulls perhaps 200 meters in length, and > designed so that between the hulls is fitted on a > roller mecahism a continuous recirculating open-weave > netting to harvest the sargasso. > > The catamaran could even be powered at one or two > knots by sail and/or the more efficient 'kite' and at > the same time produce some onboard electrical power > from the wind. > > Biomimicry: It will operate not unlike the baleen > whale > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen_whale > > ... and will have onboard tanks to "digest" the > seaweed into biobutanol. For marketability we can call > the product: "Baleenoil" or some such gimmick > > As the seaweed is harvested, iron-based fertilizer is > spread from the stern. > > A supply ship shuttles back and forth to the Canary > Islands, where our office will be based ;-) ... the > trade is biobutanol one-way and > mineral-ore-fertilizer the other way. > > Millions of tons of CO2 will be converted into > transportation fuel, in a 'carbon neutral' way, > totally responsible and green, and we will be richer > (at least in moral-net-worth) than Gates and Midas > combined... by selling the baleenoil (biobutanol) to > French and American drivers for around a Euro per > liter. > > How does that sound? > > Jones > > > > --- Michel Jullian wrote: > >> Best option would be to get the CO2 from the >> atmosphere as we are all aware, >> let's see the implications: >> >> => extensive growing surfaces with ample water, >> nutrients and sunlight >> => the oceans provide all that, as discussed before >> => it occurs to me we could use the natural ocean >> streams as "conveyor >> belts" >> => a closed loop conveyor belt running around, or >> even constituting, the >> growing surface would be nice >> => how about using the Gyres ( >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyre ), for >> example the North Atlantic Gyre (you know, that >> current aka Gulf Stream in >> some places which makes winters so cold on US >> Atlantic coasts and so >> wonderfully temperate here ;-) which circles the >> Sargasso Sea: >> >> >> >> Let's see what Wikipedia says on our putative "NATO" >> (North Atlantic Turning >> Oilfield ;-) at >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargasso_Sea : >> >> "The Sargasso Sea is an elongated region in the >> middle of the North Atlantic >> Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents... Portuguese >> sailors were among the >> first to discover this region in the 15th century, >> although it may have been >> known to earlier mariners, as a poem by the late 4th >> century AD author Rufus >> Festus Avienus describes a portion of the Atlantic >> as being covered with >> seaweed. Christopher Columbus and his men also noted >> the Sargasso Sea, and >> brought reports of the masses of seaweed on the >> surface." (emphasis is mine) >> >> We might be able to harvest the native seaweed >> and/or grow better suited >> algae ... what do you think Vorts, shall we farm the >> Sargasso Sea and push >> the harvest onto the North Atlantic Gyre for cheap >> transportation? Or would >> it be better to simply farm the Gyre? Or is this a >> "sea lea" idea? ;-) >> >> Michel >> >
<<SargassumDistribution.gif>>
