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We re-evaluated the diversity of Lobophora using an integrative taxonomic approach based on a broad sampling across French Polynesian archipelagos. Our results show that French Polynesia supports at least 37 Lobophora species of which ~57% (21) are endemic. This level of endemicity is comparable to that presently known in the Caribbean and the western Indian Ocean, while French Polynesian coastlines cover a much smaller length. With a third of the species in common, French Polynesia shares considerable biogeographic affinities with the Melanesian Islands, situated over 4000 km to the west. Distribution ranges of a few species reach the western Indian Ocean, and two species also occur in the Atlantic. We hypothesize that Lobophora species in French Polynesia have mainly evolved into endemic species from colonizers originating from the Central Indo-Pacific. These rare dispersal events to ocean archipelagos followed by a long period of isolation and speciation represent an important process responsible for the high level of endemism in remote archipelagos. While south-eastern Pacific Islands could be considered an 'evolutionary graveyard' for the genus Lobophora as little local radiation occurred, this may simply be due to recent evolutionary history. Based on these new data, the diversity of Lobophora represents ~10% of French Polynesian seaweed diversity. Eighteen new species of Lobophora are here described from French Polynesia. Lobophora species diversity and biogeography in French Polynesia were investigated. Twenty-three species of Lobophora were newly identified, and 18 new species were described. This is the first inter-archipelago diversity and biogeographic study for a macroalgal genus in the French Polynesian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean Afforestation, more precisely Ocean Macroalgal Afforestation (OMA), has the potential to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations through expanding natural populations of macroalgae, which absorb carbon dioxide, then are harvested to produce biomethane and biocarbon dioxide via anaerobic digestion. The plant nutrients remaining after digestion are recycled to expand the algal forest and increase fish populations. A mass balance has been calculated from known data and applied to produce a life cycle assessment and economic analysis. This analysis shows the potential of Ocean Afforestation to produce 12 billion tons per year of biomethane while storing 19 billion tons of CO2 per year directly from biogas production, plus up to 34 billion tons per year from carbon capture of the biomethane combustion exhaust. These rates are based on macro-algae forests covering 9% of the world's ocean surface, which could produce sufficient biomethane to replace all of today's needs in fossil fuel energy, while removing 53 billion tons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere, restoring pre-industrial levels. This amount of biomass could also increase sustainable fish production to potentially provide 200kg/yr/person for 10 billion people. Additional benefits are reduction in ocean acidification and increased ocean primary productivity and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unless humanity achieves United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and restores the relatively stable climate of pre-industrial CO2 levels (as early as 2140), species extinctions, starvation, drought/floods, and violence will exacerbate mass migrations. This paper presents conceptual designs and techno-economic analyses to calculate sustainable limits for growing high-protein seafood and macroalgae-for-biofuel. We review the availability of wet solid waste and outline the mass balance of carbon and plant nutrients passing through a hydrothermal liquefaction process. The paper reviews the availability of dry solid waste and dry biomass for bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) while generating Allam Cycle electricity. Sufficient wet-waste biomass supports quickly building hydrothermal liquefaction facilities. Macroalgae-for-biofuel technology can be developed and straightforwardly implemented on SDG-achieving high protein seafood infrastructure. The analyses indicate a potential for (1) 0.5 billion tonnes/yr of seafood; (2) 20 million barrels/day of biofuel from solid waste; (3) more biocrude oil from macroalgae than current fossil oil; and (4) sequestration of 28 to 38 billion tonnes/yr of bio-CO2. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) costs are between 25–33% of those for BECCS with pre-2019 technology or the projected cost of air-capture CDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]