Applications of Biomass and Strategies to Improve Its Yield and Composition: A Perspective for Aquaculture.

Sea lettuce ( spp.), with its worldwide distribution and remarkable ability to grow rapidly under various conditions, represents an important natural resource that is still under-exploited. Its biomass can be used for a wide range of applications in the food/feed, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, biofuel, and bioremediation industries. However, knowledge of the factors affecting biomass yield and composition is far from complete. Indeed, the respective contributions of the microbiome, natural genetic variation in species, environmental conditions and importantly, the interactions between these three factors on the biomass, have been only partially elucidated. Further investigation is important for the implementation of large-scale aquaculture, which requires stable and controlled biomass composition and yields. In this review, we document biomass composition, describe the uses of biomass and we propose different strategies for developing a sustainable and profitable aquaculture industry.