Seaweed
Seaweed or macroalgae refers to several species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of red, brown, and green macroalgae. Marine algae species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; ocean algae species from seaweeds to planktons play a vital role in carbon capture, producing up to 90 percent of the planet's oxygen. Understanding these roles provides guiding principles for conservation and sustainable use of seaweeds to take precedence over industrial exploitation. Mechanical dredging of kelp, for instance, destroys the resource and dependent fisheries. Certain species of seaweed are valuable for nutrition, biomedicine, bioremediation, and other uses.
Monostroma
Monostroma is a genus of marine green algae (seaweed) in the family Monostromataceae. As the name suggests, algae of this genus are monostromatic (single cell layered). "Monostroma kuroshiense", an algae of this genus, is commercially cultivated in East Asia and South America for the edible product "hitoegusa-nori" or "hirohano-hitoegusa nori", popular sushi wraps. "Monostroma" oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization 6 prepared by agarase digestion from "Monostroma nitidum" polysaccharides have been shown to be an effective prophylactic agent during "in vitro" and "in vivo" tests against Japanese encephalitis viral infection. The sulfated oligosaccharides from "Monostroma" seem to be promising candidates for further development as antiviral agents. The genus "Monostroma" is the most widely cultivated genus among green seaweeds.