THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEM OF THE SEAWEEDS: THE SEAWEED PARADOX

In theory Seaweed biomass production is severely hampered by a 10,000 fold slower diffusion rate of a Carbon source or Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) in the biophysical medium water in comparison to terrestrial C3 crops. Despite this inflicting property pelagic seaweeds outcompetes C3 crops for annual green biomass production which is called “the seaweed-paradox”. Here we have reported our findings and hypothesized that for four seaweed species that due to an internal acidification the abundant oceanic bicarbonate ion (HCO3–) is introduced into the cell which will in the inner acidic mitochondrial environment (matrix) rapidly be converted to CO2 which is the only C-form photosynthetic enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) can react with to produce with solar energy and water green biomass. We hypothesize this intracellular acidification is performed by reversal of the fifth pump of the chemi-osmotic model of Mitchell. It can be expected that in nearby future seaweeds may play a prominent role in providing the unfettered growth of the world population -estimated at around 10 billion people at the midst of the 21st century: food, fuel and other bioactive ingredients.