The Role of Seaweeds in Sustainable Marine Practices and the Blue Economy.

The blue economy is rapidly expanding worldwide, driven by growth of emerging industries and promising new business opportunities. Recent figures from Eurostat (2021) indicate that within the European Union alone, the blue economy employs approximately 3.6 million individuals and generates annual revenues exceeding €600 billion. Particularly notable is the 27% rise in gross value added from living marine resources between 2015 and 2021, demonstrating this sector's significant role in regional economic growth. In this context, seaweeds are increasingly acknowledged for their multifaceted contributions to biodiversity enhancement, ecosystem resilience, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic activities. Despite their potential, understanding the interactions between seaweeds, marine biodiversity, cultivation practices, and industrial applications remains incomplete.This Research Topic aims to advance scientific knowledge on the role that seaweeds play in enhancing biodiversity, improving ecosystem services, supporting sustainable cultivation methods, and unlocking economic potential. By addressing current gaps, such as optimal cultivation technologies, genetic breeding advancements, biodiversity impacts improvement, and the sustainable extraction of seaweed-derived bioactive compounds, the topic will foster an interdisciplinary platform connecting ecological, technological, and economic research. Our goal is to encourage innovative findings and evidence-based solutions capable of overcoming existing limitations in seaweed cultivation and utilization, ultimately promoting a sustainable and economically resilient blue economy.To gather further insights in seaweed research related to biodiversity conservation, ecological sustainability, efficient production systems, and economic applications, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: - Ecological roles of seaweeds in marine biodiversity conservation, habitat provision, fisheries support, and coastal protection. - Seaweed-based solutions for climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration. - Advances and innovations in sustainable seaweed cultivation practices focusing on genetic diversity, strain improvement, adaptability, and domestication. - Technological developments enhancing the productivity, profitability, and ecological sustainability of seaweed farm operations. - Identification, isolation, extraction, and application of bioactive compounds derived from seaweeds for sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and biofuels. - Challenges and strategies for market development, policy-making, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder collaboration in promoting a sustainable seaweed industry. We encourage submissions including Original Research, Reviews, Methods articles, and Perspectives relevant to Frontiers in Marine Science. Topic editors: Teresa Margarida Mouga, Clélia Neves Afonso, Leonel Pereira Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/70468/the-role-of-seaweeds-in-sustainable-marine-practices-and-the-blue-economy