Potencialidades e aplicações das algas arribadas: agricultura e biotecnologias, uma revisão

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of drift seaweed represents a growing challenge for coastlines worldwide, but also an opportunity for the bioeconomy. This literature review aimed to identify the potential and applications of drift seaweed, with a focus on agriculture and biotechnology. The methodology involved a systematic search across five databases (Google Scholar, SciELO, Web of Science, PubMed, and ScienceDirect), using keywords in Portuguese and English for the period between 2019 and 2025. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, with the assistance of artificial intelligence for abstract screening, 30 articles were selected for in-depth analysis. The results reveal a broad spectrum of applications. In agriculture and livestock, the production of fertilizers, soil conditioners, animal feed supplements, and biostimulants stands out. In the field of biotechnology, drift seaweed shows potential for energy production (energy pellets), bioremediation of industrial effluents, development of bio-insecticides, and even nanomaterials with antimicrobial activity. The extraction of high-value biomolecules, such as phycocolloids (agar and carrageenan), fucoidan, fucoxanthin, and phenolic compounds, points to established markets in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The analysis concludes that the utilization of drift seaweed is technically and economically viable, transforming a negative-cost waste into a versatile raw material. Although Brazil has great potential, as evidenced by local studies, there is still a vast field for the expansion of research and industrial applications, consolidating a sustainable and circular economy production chain.