(176d) Development of Potential Commercial Products from Giant Salvinia

United States (U.S.) has many waterbodies that provide fisheries and water recreation representing key economic markets. Over the years, numerous invasive plants have covered a significant amount of surface area across lakes making them physically inaccessible and at times threatening the biotic stability of the water body. For example, Giant Salvinia, is particularly problematic in East Texas and Louisiana because of limited non-chemical control methods/agents. Ecological impacts can include lowering of the water column dissolved oxygen (DO) levels to lethal and/or inhibitory levels that damages native flora and fauna sustainment (DO lowered due to the decay of Giant Salvinia-based detritus), displacement of native food plant species for the local fauna, and reducing sunlight transmissivity into the water column thus hindering photosynthesis of submergent plants and algae – both of which are food sources for higher level fauna.

Each year, the U.S. spends millions of dollars for nuisance aquatic weed control. One concept for managing this nuisance plant would be to develop commercial uses of the plant component thus potentially stimulating the private sector to harvest the plant for producing commercial products. This project will be approached through a series of experimental tasks that are oriented toward the potential development of salvinia as a commercial feedstock. This Research will focus on Production of Lipids, Protein-Based Adhesives, Biochar Adsorbents, Methane and Hydrogen from Salvinia.