1. I

2. Algae statistics: data needs and knowledge gaps
RITA ARAUJO
Directorate D: Sustainable Resources
Water and Marine Resources Unit

3. ECOLOGICAL ROLE SEAWEEDS Microalgae
Structuring species to coastal food webs
Ecosystem services to coastal communities
Removal of dissolved nutrients (N and P uptake)
Carbon sequestration
Coastal defence
Bioacumulation of metal ions
Bioindicators of environmental quality

4. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE SEAWEEDS Microalgae COMMERCIAL INTEREST1 €
/kg 10
100
Biomass for energy use (fuels) and
environmental services
(bioremediation)
Food, feed and agriculture
Fine chemicals, food
supplements and
nutraceutical products
Cosmetics,
Pharmaceuticals
and specialty chemical
products
3rd GENERATION BIOFUEL
IMTA
CLIMATE CHANGE
ANTROPOGENIC PRESSURES
Saccharina latissima
Laminaria hyperborea
Araujo et al Biodiversity and Conservation

5. WHAT DO THE STATISTIC SHOW
Yearly production
SEAWEEDS
Microalgae
Total yearly algae production
GLOBAL
EUROPE

6. WHAT DO THE STATISTIC SHOW
National production
SEAWEEDS
Microalgae
GLOBAL
EUROPE

7. LIMITATIONS SEAWEEDS Data aggregation and categorization 2008 2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Harpoon seaweeds
Seaweeds nei
Wakame
Sea belt
Leather Gracilaria
Warty Gracilaria
Sea lettuce

8. SEAWEEDS
LIMITATIONS
Lack reporting some years

9. LIMITATIONS SEAWEEDS Lack reporting some countries Official Statistics
JRC Mapping industry

10. LIMITATIONS SEAWEEDS Incomplete data production method
Official Statistics
Aquaculture
Harvesting
JRC Mapping industry

11. LIMITATIONS Microalgae No data for microalgae Official Statistics
JRC Mapping industry

12. Microalgae LIMITATIONS SEAWEEDS No agreement different data sources
EU-28 Aquaculture production
Total yearly production
Country level production

13. WHY IS THIS INFORMATION NEEDED
The JRC perspective
What is the potential of algae biomass as feedstock for biofuel
production contributing to the carbon emission reduction?
SEAWEEDS
Microalgae
What is the potential for growth of the
seaweed aquaculture and which
socio-economic and
environmental impacts to expect?
How can algae production
supply the future demand
for food sources?
How much biomass can be sustainably harvested and what are the expected impacts
of current exploitation methods and pressure on wild populations under the current
trend of climatic change?

14. THANK YOU! Stay in touch EU Science Hub: ec.europa.eu/jrc
Facebook: EU Science Hub - Joint Research Centre
LinkedIn: Joint Research Centre
YouTube: EU Science Hub