Note
To date, seaweed energy research has emphasized cultivation, while a marked paucity of information exists regarding the comparative performance of these algae as a methanogenic-substrate. Only two species, the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera and Gracilaria tikvahiae, have been tested in fermentation trials (6, 7, 8). The relative merits of a red, a green, and a brown algae, run vis à vis at four different loading rates, will be discussed in this report. In addition, two loading procedures were utilized to access what, if any, effect they might have on digester performance.