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What Are the Uses for Whole Dried Algae?

According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural history, there are more than 219,000 known species of algae that inhabit all natural bodies of water and the land, and have been known to reside in snow and ice. Whole dried algae can be used as a food source, to absorb heavy metal pollutants from water and to inhibit the growth of bacteria in water used in fish farms.

  1. Algae to Inhibit the Growth of Bacteria

    • Tetraselmis suecica (T. suecica) is microscopic marine green algae with purported antimicrobial properties. An article published in the April 2006 issue of the "Journal of Fish Diseases" investigated the effects of dried T. suecica to inhibit the growth of several bacterial species, which are know pathogens to fish. The study found that the ingestion of the algae by Atlantic salmon enables the fish to better combat infections. The researchers also noted that the presence of the algae in tank water reduced the overall numbers of bacteria.

    Algae as Fish Food

    • Species of microscopic algae have been investigated for their possible uses as feed for the captive rearing of fish used for human consumption. A study appearing in the February 2001 issue of "Aquaculture" documented the use of whole freeze-dried Nannochloropsis gaditana and Isochrysis galbana to feed larvae of fish, a species known as gilthead seabream, which are commonly used as a food source in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The researchers stated that freeze-dried algae had similar nutritional benefits as live algae to the larvae of the fish .

    Human Food Source

    • The December 2000 issue of the "Journal of Applied Phycology" included an article on the use of dried algae as a food source for humans. The authors stated that some species of blue-green algae, including Spirulina platenis and S. maxima, have been used as food since the 1980s. These species are harvested from Klamath Lake in the state of Oregon, which boasts an annual commercial production of over 1 million kg since 1998.

    Algae as a Source of Protein and Nitrogen

    • As far back as the 1960s, freeze-dried algae have been investigated as a source of dietary nitrogen for humans. An article published in the August 1965 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition" found that a species of dried green algae, Scenedesmus obliquus, was an acceptable source of nitrogen. The study concluded that human consumption of S. obliquus, as a principal source of nitrogen and protein in the diet, had no ill effects after a 20-day period.

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