Algae are important asprimary producers in aquaticecosystems. Most algae areeukaryotic,photosynthetic organisms that live in a wet environment. They are distinguished from the higher plants by a lack of trueroots, stems orleaves. They do not produce flowers. Many species are single-celled and microscopic (includingphytoplankton and othermicroalgae); many others aremulticellular to one degree or another, some of these growing to large size (for example,seaweeds such askelp andSargassum).
A number of microscopic algae also occur as symbionts inlichens.
Phycologists typically focus on either freshwater or ocean algae, and further within those areas, either diatoms or soft algae.
While both the ancient Greeks and Romans knew of algae, and the ancient Chinese[1] even cultivated certain varieties as food, the scientific study of algae began in the late 18th century with the description and naming ofFucus maximus (nowEcklonia maxima) in 1757 byPehr Osbeck. This was followed by the descriptive work of scholars such asDawson Turner andCarl Adolph Agardh, but it was not until later in the 19th century that efforts were made byJ.V. Lamouroux andWilliam Henry Harvey to create significant groupings within the algae. Harvey has been called "the father of modern phycology"[2] in part for his division of the algae into four major divisions based upon their pigmentation.
It was in the late 19th and early 20th century, that phycology became a recognized field of its own. Men such asFriedrich Traugott Kützing continued the descriptive work. In Japan, beginning in 1889,Kintarô Okamura not only provided detailed descriptions of Japanese coastal algae, he also provided comprehensive analysis of their distribution.[3] AlthoughR. K. Greville published hisAlgae Britannicae as early as 1830, it was not until 1902 with the publication ofA Catalogue of the British Marine Algae[4] by Edward Arthur Lionel Batters that the systematic correlation of records, extensive distribution mapping and the development ofidentification keys began in earnest. In 1899–1900,Anna Weber-Van Bosse, a Dutch Phycologist travelled on theSiboga expedition and later in 1904, publishedThe Corallinaceae of the Siboga-expedition.[5]
As early as 1803Jean Pierre Étienne Vaucher had published on theisogamy (sexual conjugation) in the algae, but it was in the early 20th century that reproduction and development began to be extensively studied. The 1935 and 1945 comprehensive volumes ofFelix Eugen Fritsch consolidated what was then known about the morphology and reproduction of the algae. This was followed in the 1950s by the development of area checklists, led byMary Parke with her 1931Manx Algae and followed in 1953 by her "A preliminary check-list of British marine algae"[6] AlthoughLily Newton's 1931Handbook[7] provided the first identification key for the algae of the British Isles, it was the 1960s before the development of such keys became routine. The 1980s with the new emphasis on ecology[8] saw increased study of algal communities, and the place of algae in larger plant communities, and provided an additional tool for explaining geographical variation.[9][10]
The continent with the richest diversity of seaweeds isAustralia, which has 2,000 species.[11]
In 2023, private phycological research funding had reached nearly 1 billion USD showing the great interest in private-sector development for algae-based technology solutions.[12] In the years 2014-2023, the EU invested approximately 600 million EUR into various phycological research interests.[13] The United States regularly commits research funding for phycological studies particularly as it pertains to the management of Harmful Algae Blooms through NOAA and other agencies.[14]
^Tokida, Jun and Hirose, Hiroyuki (1975)Advance of Phycology in Japan Junk, The Hague, Netherlands,page 241,ISBN90-6193-026-X
^Batters, Edward Arthur Lionel (1902)A catalogue of the British Marine Algae being a list of all the species of seaweeds known to occur on the shores of the British Islands, with the localities where they are found Newman, London,OCLC600805992, published as a supplement toJournal of Botany, British and Foreign
^Weber-Van Bosse, A.; Foslie, M. (1904).The Corallinaceae of the Siboga-expedition. F. J. Brill.
^Newton, Lily (1931)A Handbook of the British Seaweeds British Museum, London
^Walter, Heinrich and Breckle, Siegmar-Walter (1983)Ökologie der Erde: : Geo-Biosphäre: Band 1, Ökologische Grundlagen in globaler Sicht (Ecology of the Earth: the geobiosphere: Volume 1, Ecological principles in a global perspective) Fischer, Stuttgart, Germany,ISBN3-437-20297-9; in German
^Stevenson, R. Jan; Bothwell, Max L. and Lowe, Rex L. (1996)Algal ecology: freshwater benthic ecosystems Academic Press, San Diego, California,page 23,ISBN0-12-668450-2
^Figueiras, F. G.; Picher, G. C. and Estrada, M. (2008) "Chapter 10: Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics in Relation to Physical Processes"page 130In Granéli, E. and Turner, J. T. (2008)Ecology of Harmful Algae Springer, Berlin, pp. 127–138,ISBN3-540-74009-0
^"Marine algae". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust. Archived fromthe original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved21 September 2014.
^Co-Founder, Federico Cristoforoni, CEO & (2025-08-18)."Algae Startups Investment Trends".Net Zero Insights. Retrieved2025-09-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Algological Studies is an international journal of phycology which publishes peer reviewed scientific papers of international significance from the entire field of algology (phycology)
