Sustainable Global Resources Of Seaweeds Volume 1

Book excerpt: Marine plant life is an abundant source of nutrients that enhance the daily diet. In recent years, consuming diets rich in seaweeds or their extracts have been shown to provide health benefits due to being rich in macronutrients, micronutrients and nutraceuticals. The commercial value of seaweeds for human consumption is increasing annually, and some countries harvest several million tons annually. The seaweeds industry is valued at around $12 billion in 2017, and supports millions of families worldwide. Seaweeds production grew globally by 30 million tons in 2016. Seaweeds have seen increasing usage in the food industry due to their abundance of beneficial nutrients, vitamins and ω–3 fatty acids. To date there have been no books that comprehensively cover up-to-date information on seaweeds cultivation, processing, extraction and nutritional properties. This text lays out the properties and effects of seaweeds from their use as bioresources to their use in the feed industry to their applications in wastewater management and biofuels. Sustainable Global Resources Of Seaweeds Volume 1: Industrial Perspectives offers a complete overview of seaweeds from their cultivation and processing steps to their bioactive compounds and Industrial applications, while also providing the foundational information needed to understand these plants holistically. Chapters in this volume focus on seaweeds bioresources, ecology and biology, composition and cultivation, plus usage of seaweeds extracts for the feed industry. An entire section is dedicated to waste water treatment, bioremediation, biofuel and biofertilizer application of seaweeds. For any researcher in need of a comprehensive and up-to-date single source on seaweeds cultivation, this volume provides all the information necessary to gain a thorough understanding of this ever-important product.