Seaweeds and their Applications

Seaweed is a sustainable natural resource with industrial potential that is not fully utilized. The industry is broadly based, with the product being supplied to agriculture/horticulture, cosmetics, thalassotherapy, the biopharma sector (functional foods/nutraceuticals), and for human consumption. Nevertheless, in the light of the present and prospective world food situation, the more widespread use of seaweed meals merits further attention. The substitution and release for other uses of cereals by seaweed meal in the basic feed rations may in certain instances by justifiable both economically and socially. Also the seaweed community, well aware of the wonders of marine organisms as a whole, needs to follow suit to address the questions regarding marine algae and their pharmaceutical application, and to quantify the value that this information could add to the current industry, putting seaweeds on par with terrestrial plants in future drug development initiatives.