SeaweedAfrica

1. SeaweedAfrica “Underpinning Sustainable Ecosystem Management of Seaweed Resources in Africa: Expanding the Seaweed Database”

2. European Partners Ireland: Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway. Co-ordinator Prof. Michael Guiry Dr Róisín Nash Sandy Lawson Sweden: University of Stockholm Dr Mats Björk & Karolina Bauer Strong Links to the University of Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania (Sware Semesi, Matern Moltera) Portugal: CIIMAR Prof. Isabel Sousa Pinto Andreia Braga-Henriques Two subcontractors www.seaweedafrica.org

3. Subcontractors (via Portugal) Mozambique: University of Eduardo Mondlane Dr Salomão Bandeira Henriques Jacinto Balidy Brazil: University of São Paulo Prof. Eurico Cabral De Oliveira Filho www.seaweedafrica.org

4. African Partners South Africa: University of the Western Cape Prof. Derek Keats Martin Cocks Dr Neil Griffin South Africa: University of Cape Town Prof. John Bolton Dr Rob Anderson (Marine and Coastal Management) Dr AJ Smit & Dr Enrico Trochin Kenya: IOI-East Africa Mr Patrick Gwada Namibia: University of Namibia Mr Lineekela Kandjengo Dr Alan Critchley (France) www.seaweedafrica.org

5. 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

6. Basic Facts • 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. www.seaweedafrica.org

7. Basic Facts • 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’ in sustainable seaweed farming”

8. SeaweedAfrica objectives • 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

9. Seaweed - diversity Brown Heterokontophyta c.2,000 species Red Rhodophyta c. 6,000 species Green Chlorophyta c. 12,000 species

10. Constituents of Seaweeds • Fatty acids • Sterols • Lipids • Acids • Alkaloids • Amines • Cellulose • Enzymes • Glycosides • Volatile Constituents • Toxic substance • Vitamins • Phenolic compounds • Sugar alcohols • Steroids • Amino acids • Proteins • Peptides • Pigments • Phytohormones • Inorganic Constituents • Antibacterial, Antibiotic, Antifungal and Antiviral Substances

11. www.seaweedafrica.org An example of a search on the site for the uses associated with Gracilaria gracilis 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

12. www.seaweedafrica.org 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.

13. 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.

14. An example of the Literature on Seaweed Uses All information in SeaweedAfrica is traceable back to a published source. • 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 www.seaweedafrica.org

15. Potential of SeaweedAfrica 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 Resource distribution • Allows any country to identify what species occur on their coast www.seaweedafrica.org

16. www.seaweedafrica.org Potential of SeaweedAfrica 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

17. www.seaweedafrica.org Potential of SeaweedAfrica Ecological Information • Information on life histories of commercialspecies 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

18. 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