Green, red, brown algae contain special substances that are not found in other organisms. Many various minerals, including potassium, especially in algae. Therefore, algae are used in the creation of products in the food, pharmaceutical, perfumery and agricultural industries.
Ideally, about 230 thousand tons of algae should be mined in the Russian seas. However, only 30 percent of all this is implemented in practice. Another problem is that algae are mainly found in hard-to-reach areas. Transporting and removing algae is also expensive.
About 20 types of algae are currently used in various industries in Russia. For the most part, these are fucus and moss.
There are also several ways to harvest seaweed. One of them is in the sea, the second is a collection near the shore.
For example, algae are mined in the White Sea, which contains a lot of mannitol and alginic acid. Experts mow these algae manually from a depth of 5-6 meters. Algae is already processed in Arkhangelsk. Researchers from the GuideMarket agency emphasize that algae should be processed immediately, as they already lose their beneficial properties after 10-12 hours.
Mannitol is also made from algae, most alginate. In the future, perhaps, experts will begin to produce air gas and biofuel from algae.
Source: Ferra
