Alan T Critchley
2020 vision: a phyconomic approach to supplying the global, future needs for seaweeds of
commercial interest.
Graduate of Portsmouth Polytechnic (Univ.), UK. Cut my knees (learned my craft) as an ecologist
studying rocky shores and marine invasives. An academic career took me to Southern Africa
(Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg, RSA and Windhoek, Namibia). Moved to applied and industrial
applications of seaweeds when working for Degussa (now Cargill) Texturant Solutions, Normandy,
France in their New Raw Materials laboratory. Canada then called for a position leading a diverse
and exceptional research team, networking with university,government and private researchers for
an SME producer of various seaweed products.
Currently affiliated with the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and Environment at
Cape Breton Univ. reviewing research in Marine Biology, Botany and Phycology. Recently
published a book for Springer on the cultivation/utilisation of Kappaphycus and Eucheuma
seaweeds (“Tropical Seaweed Farming” -Springer) with Drs Anicia Hurtado and Iain Neish as co-
editors. Established applied research interests in the pests and diseases of cultivated seaweeds
entitled: SEECS - "Seaweed extracts for the enhanced cultivation of seaweeds". On-going co-
editing with colleagues such as: Anicia Hurtado, Leonel Pereira, Lynn Cornish, Danilo Largo and
Nicholas Paul in special issues – “Seaweed Resources of The World: A 2020 Vision” for Botanica
Marina and “Concise Reviews of Seaweeds of Commercial Interest” for Journal of Applied
Phycology.