SeaweedAfrica

“Underpinning Sustainable Ecosystem

Management of Seaweed Resources in Africa: Expanding

the Seaweed Database”

European Partners Ireland: Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland,

Galway. Co-ordinatorProf. Michael GuiryDr Róisín NashSandy Lawson

Sweden: University of StockholmDr Mats Björk & Karolina BauerStrong Links to the University of Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania

(Sware Semesi, Matern Moltera)

Portugal: CIIMARProf. Isabel Sousa Pinto Andreia Braga-HenriquesTwo subcontractors

www.seaweedafrica.org

Subcontractors (via Portugal)

Mozambique: University of Eduardo MondlaneDr Salomão BandeiraHenriques Jacinto Balidy

Brazil: University of São PauloProf. Eurico Cabral De Oliveira Filho

www.seaweedafrica.org

African Partners South Africa: University of the Western CapeProf. Derek KeatsMartin CocksDr Neil Griffin

South Africa: University of Cape TownProf. John BoltonDr Rob Anderson (Marine and Coastal Management)Dr AJ Smit & Dr Enrico Trochin

Kenya: IOI-East AfricaMr Patrick Gwada

Namibia: University of NamibiaMr Lineekela KandjengoDr Alan Critchley (France)

www.seaweedafrica.org

Basic Facts Funded through the INCO-DEV section of FP5

Duration of the project: Nov 2001 - Oct 2005

Funded to the sum of almost €1,000,000

6 partner countries (+ 2 subcontractor countries) involved

It is an expansion of AlgaeBase (One of the five largest biological databases in the world) www.algaebase.org

AlgaeBase contains:

34,588 bibliographical references, 2,314 common names, 109,473 distributional records, 17,657 etymological entries, 5,785 genera, 2,879 images, 61,738 species

(15th August 2005)www.seaweedafrica.org

• Despite its enormous coastline and burgeoning maritime populations, Africa has not seen major developments of a seaweed industry except in Tanzania and South Africa, and recently in Mozambique.

• SeaweedAfrica is prioritizing the entry of information from Africa due to the relative inaccessibility of knowledge of seaweeds form Africa despite the incredible biodiversity which is particularly high on the east coast.

Basic Facts

www.seaweedafrica.org

• In some areas, such as Namibia and the west coast of South Africa, upwelling of cold water shows enormous potential for maricultural development if the right algae and management techniques can be found.

Therefore one of the aims of SeaweedAfrica is

“To increase access to information on seaweeds, allowing

‘‘best practice’best practice’ in sustainable seaweed farming”

Basic Facts

To aid and accelerate seaweed aquaculture through developing the seaweed database to include information on:

• Seaweed uses• Common names• Commercial usage – Aquaculture & Harvesting• Ecological data• Regulation and legislation information

In other words to assemble knowledge currently dispersed particularly information that pertains to the development of an African industry

SeaweedAfrica objectives

Seaweed - diversity

BrownHeterokontophytac.2,000 species

GreenChlorophyta c. 12,000 species

Red Rhodophyta c. 6,000 species

Constituents of Seaweeds Vitamins

Phenolic compounds

Sugar alcohols

Steroids

Amino acids

Proteins

Peptides

Pigments

Phytohormones

Inorganic Constituents

Antibacterial, Antibiotic, Antifungal and Antiviral Substances

Fatty acids

Sterols

Lipids

Acids

Alkaloids

Amines

Cellulose

Enzymes

Glycosides

Volatile Constituents

Toxic substance

www.seaweedafrica.org

Front page as seen on the web

You can enter a search for:

• Species name such as Gracilaria gracilis

• Common name

• Country

• Ecological / aquaculture or harvest records

An example of a search on the site for the uses associated with Gracilaria gracilis

You will then be given a number of choices to search for further information on this species e.g. uses and compounds highlighted in red above. If you click on this link you will be provided with a list of the seaweed’s uses and their associated compounds.

www.seaweedafrica.org

A list of uses and coumpounds found associated with Gracilaria gracilis.Further information can be found by clicking on the book icon on the right hand side.

www.seaweedafrica.org

An example of the Literature on Seaweed Uses • Chapman, V.J. & Chapman, D.J. (1980) Seaweeds and their uses.

Chapman and Hall London

• Hoppe, H.A. & Levring, T. (1982) Marine algae in pharmaceutical science. 309 pages Walter de Gruyter Berlin/New York

• Lembi, C.A. & Waaland, J.R. (1988) Algae and human affairs. vii + 590 pages Cambridge University Press Cambridge

• Levring, T., Hoppe, H.A. & Schmid, O.J. (1969) Marine algae. A survey of research and utilization. [vii] + 421 pages Cram, De Gruyter & Co. Hamburg

All information in SeaweedAfrica is traceable back to a published source.

www.seaweedafrica.org

Potential of SeaweedAfricaResource distribution

Allows any country to identify what species occur on their coast

Uses & potential uses of different species Important for countries who wish to initiate a

seaweed utilisation strategy

Current Resource Yields Scale of harvesting is unappreciated by many Current information on yields will act as a tool

to illustrate the potential sustainable exploitation that can be achieved

Resource distribution Allows any country to identify what species

occur on their coast

www.seaweedafrica.org

Resource distribution Allows any country to identify what species

occur on their coast

Uses & potential uses of different species Important for countries who wish to initiate a

seaweed utilisation strategy

Current Resource Yields Scale of harvesting is unappreciated by many Current information on yields will act as a tool

to illustrate the potential sustainable exploitation that can be achieved

Potential of SeaweedAfrica

www.seaweedafrica.org

Potential of SeaweedAfrica

www.seaweedafrica.org

Ecological Information Information on life histories of commercial

species is vital Preserving biodiversity May provide a secondary crop

Information on associated species To ensure maximum efficiency of

aquaculture initiatives To facilitate ecological/acceptable

harvesting practices

Methods of cultivation & Harvesting Help to amalgamate different methods to

produce the most appropriate technology

Regulation management First point of contact – country Legislation - country

Who will benefit?• The expanded database aims to satisfy the needs of

policy makers wishing to initiate sustainable seaweed production or effectively regulate already existing seaweed production; whether that production be by harvesting or aquaculture.

• Other groups that will benefit from the information include universities, industry, government agencies, multidisciplinary research institutions, libraries, museums, non-governmental organisations and interested individuals.

www.seaweedafrica.org