Uses of Algae

• At least a half of the total carbon dioxide fixation on earth is carried out by algae through photosynthesis. Being photosynthetic they increase the level of dissolved oxygen in their immediate environment.

• Brown and red seaweeds provide important economic products in the form of food for people and resources in the manufacturing of industrial products. These seaweeds are mostly harvested from the wild, although efforts are being made to cultivate large algae.

• A red alga known as nori is a popular food in Japan. Another alga known as sea kale is consumed dried or cooked into various stews or soups. Sea lettuce and edible kelp are other commonly eaten seaweeds.

• Brown seaweeds provide a natural source for the manufacture of chemicals called alginates that are used as thickening agents and stabilizers in the industrial preparation of foods and pharmaceutical drugs

• Agar is a seaweed product prepared from certain red algae that is used in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, as a culture medium for laboratory microorganisms, and in the preparation of jellied desserts and soups.

• Carrageenin is an agar like compound obtained from red algae that is widely used as a stabilizer in paints, pharmaceuticals, and ice cream.