The farming and cultivation of algae can provide sustainable solutions for issues like food security-related problems, costly health-related products, sustainable fuels, and more. However, the use of algae is currently restricted to high-value, low-volume markets, mainly due to the high investment and production costs involved. In recent years, algaculture for food and fuel purposes has begun a transition from R&D and pilot-scale operations to commercial-scale systems. This new book presents the latest technological innovations in algae production, market status, and prospects for algal applications.
The book provides an informative overview of different perspectives on the commercial production of algae-based food, health, and high-value cosmeceutical products, providing an institutional framework to support and promote the development and commercialization of algal farming. The book discusses phycotechnology and highlights the current trends and future scope of algal technology. It also presents new information on algal culture conditions and cultivation strategies, including a look at geographic position and local climate as key factors in the implementation of microalgae-based processes. Algal production, marketing strategies, and their commercialization are discussed, as are the industrial applications of algae, focusing mainly on nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications of microalgae and macroalgae.