Algae and Human Affairs. 1988. 50 tabs. 40 figs. 50 line-diagrams. VIII,590 p. gr8vo. Cloth.

Provides a detailed, up-to-date synthesis on the important roles algaeplay in human life. The book is divided into four sections. The firstreviews the natural roles of algae as sources of oxygen, organic carboncompounds, and as a bases of food-chains for higher trophic levels. Thesecond group of chapters deals with the commercial and economic valueof algae to industry, energy waste treatment, and agriculture. The thirdsection discusses the detrimental, sometimes disastrous, effects ofalgae in the form of red-tide organisms, weeds, producers of freshwatertoxins, and biofouling, as sources of human foods and food additives(for example the carageenan used in dairy products and other foods is analgal extract). The final section considers current applications andfuture potential of algae to industry in general and in particular tospace exploration and genetic engineering. - Good second hand copy.