A range of novel extraction technologies, including hydrodynamic cavitation (HDC), ultrasound (US), microwave (MW), and in-situ enzyme-assisted methods, are being explored to enhance product yields from seaweed via a cascaded approach. Six seaweed species are under investigation, with Alaria esculenta, Ulva sp., and Palmaria palmata tested for novel preprocessing techniques on fresh, freeze-dried, and thawed seaweed biomass. Ascophyllum nodosum, Alaria esculenta, Fucus serratus, and Fucus vesiculosus are being applied in cascaded fractionation processes. Preliminary results indicate that these innovative processes, such as MW- and US-cascaded extraction of Ascophyllum nodosum and hydrodynamic cavitation of Alaria esculenta, yield significantly higher outputs of valuable compounds like alginate, fucoidan, and fucoxanthin compared to traditional hot water extraction. Additionally, a new test setup to study buckling failure of stainless steel (homogeneous and hybrid) components under static loading has produced a valuable experimental database that supports advancements in finite element models (FEA) and structural design for open ocean applications. Corrosion tests and field surveys at 46 marine sites are progressing, with machine learning analysis identifying LightGBM as the most effective algorithm for predicting corrosion rates, enhancing data-driven decision-making. For Ulva, research on photosynthetic efficiency and growth under varying abiotic conditions is providing insights to optimize biomass enriched in high-value compounds. These efforts collectively highlight the potential for environmental sustainability and commercial applications in both seaweed extraction and structural design. Data is currently being shared with DC10 to initiate a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the processes.)
