The Algae World

Algal World has been carefully written and edited with an interdisciplinary appeal and aims to bring all aspects of Algae together in one volume. The 22 chapters are divided into two different parts which have been authored by eminent researchers from across the world. The first part, Biology of Algae, contains 10 chapters dealing with the general characteristics, classification and description of different groups such as Blue Green Algae, Green Algae, Brown Algae, Red Algae, Diatoms, Xanthophyceae, Dinophyceae, etc. In addition, it has two important chapters covering Algae in Extreme Environments and Life Histories and Growth Forms in Green Algae. The second part,Applied Phycology, contains 12 chapters dealing with the more applied aspects ranging from Algal Biotechnology, Biofuel, Phycoremediation, Bioactive Compounds, Biofertilizer, Fatty Acids, Harmful Algal Blooms, Industrial Applications of Seaweeds, Nanotechnology, Phylogenomics and Algal culture Techniques, etc.

Prof. Joseph Seckbach is the Founder and Chief Editor of book series Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology (COLE). He is the author of several chapters in this series. Prof. Seckbach earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1965), and spent his postdoctoral years in the Division of Biology at Caltech (Pasadena, CA). He headed a team at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) for searching extraterrestrial life. He has been appointed to the faculty of the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, Israel), performed algal research, and taught biological courses until his retirement. He spent his sabbatical periods in UCLA and Harvard University, and served at Louisiana State University (LSU) (1997/1998) as the first selected occupant Chair for the Louisiana Sea Grant and Technology transfer, and as a visiting Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at LSU (Baton Rouge, LA). He spent two DAAD (German fellowships for exchange academicians) in Tubingen (1988) and recently (2006) in Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. Among his publications are books, scientific articles in the lines of phytoferritin, cellular evolution, acidothermophilic algae, and life in extreme environments. He also edited and translated several popular books. His recent interest is in the field of enigmatic microorganisms and life in extreme environments.

Dr. Dinabandhu Sahoo, scientist at Marine Biotech Lab, Dept of Botany, Delhi University.Dr Sahoo contributed substantially to the field of marine algae and applied his scientific knowledge in product development and employment generation at the grassroot level for the socio-economic development of the people living in coastal areas. He has extensively worked in the field of seaweed cultivation and utilization using the concept of generating wealth from waste. Based on his 20 years of work experience on Chilika Lake, he has developed a model called the 'Chilika Model' for the socio-economic upliftment of the fishermen community in different parts of Indian coasts. This pioneering Chilika model led the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India , to formulate the First National project on large scale seaweed cultivation and processing for livelihood generation in different coastal states and Union Territories of India. Presently, Dr Sahoo is the secretary of Indian Phycological Society and is also involved in teaching and research at the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. Marine algae, popularly known as seaweed, are a good source of food, feed, fertilizer, chemicals and pharmaceuticals among others.