Eucheumoid algae

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Fig. 1, below), Kappaphycus striatum and Eucheuma denticulatum belong to a group of commercially important species known as the “Eucheumoid algae” and are known in the trade as “cottonii” and “spinosum”. These three species are the main source of kappa and iota carrageenan, being responsible for about 88% of worldwide raw material.

Statistical data from the FAO's (Food and Aquaculture Organization of United Nations) Fisheries and Aquaculture Departments show that the production in 2007 of these three species was about 1.6 million wet tons, with a landed value of some US$175 million.

Commercial farms are located mainly in the Philippines, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zanzibar, and a few Pacific Islands. The success of these farms resulted in the introduction of Kappaphycus and Eucheuma to more than 25 countries, but many of them ceased farming at an experimental stage.