Industrial seaweed use started in Brittany in the XVII century. Today, 700 species have been identified along 1000 km of shoreline, producing 10 million tons of biomass. In the Fourteenth International Seaweed Sumposium the latest developments in the area are discussed. The blending of molecular biology with traditional taxonomy is improving our understanding of phylogeny and species relationships among many of the important algae. A new generation of biologically-based management models is gradually incorporating field testing, concepts from ecological theory and principles from population...

Industrial seaweed use started in Brittany in the XVII century. Today, 700 species have been identified along 1000 km of shoreline, producing 10 million tons of biomass. In the Fourteenth International Seaweed Sumposium the latest developments in the area are discussed. The blending of molecular biology with traditional taxonomy is improving our understanding of phylogeny and species relationships among many of the important algae. A new generation of biologically-based management models is gradually incorporating field testing, concepts from ecological theory and principles from population...

International Seaweed Symposia have been held at three-year intervals for nearly 50 years. In the early days they formed the only international forum for marine phycologists, and although there are now frequent phycological meetings their value has not diminished, both because of the increased commercial importance of seaweeds, and because of the unique mix of disciplines that the meetings attract. Industrialists interact with chemists and biologists with the common aim of understanding seaweeds. The main development during the last few decades has been an increase in the cultivation of...