Marine algae represent a potential candidate for large-scale production of both fuel and protein, with the possibility of yielding several other global benefits such as reducing fresh water consumed for agriculture, reducing the amount of arable land required to produce the world's protein (thereby preventing further deforestation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental damage), yielding omega-3-fatty-acid rich animal feeds that improve herd health, and providing locally-produced high-quality petroleum fuel substitutes for applications requiring high energy density transportation fuels (e.g., semi-trucks and airplanes) that other bio fuels cannot supply.