PRESENT PAST
This booklet is part of the Algareum Exhibition, by Susan Moreno, selected and funded by ArtePraia 5th Edition Announcement. It was accomplished at Mucuripe’s Beach, in Fortaleza - Ceará, Brazil, in September of 2023.
~3.5 billion years ago...
ancient algae
Breathe. Cyanobacteria oxygenated the world.
The primitive Earth was full of volcanic gases, and there were few forms of life. At that time, cyanobacteria(“blue algae”) appeared - the first organisms to carry out photosynthesis by releasing oxygen. Over the next billion years, they filled the ocean and atmosphere with oxygen, allowing land plants and animals, including you, to thrive.
stromatolite
Marine sedimentary fossil, formed by the intercalation of films of cyanobacteria and calcium carbonate, dating back more than 3 billion years.
Siphoneae – Ernst Haeckel
micro x macro
Microalgae are microscopic and generally consist of a single cell, and can form colonies visible to the naked eye. They are part of phytoplankton, the basis of the food chain of aquatic ecosystems.
taxonomy
The term “algae” covers a wide variety of aquatic organisms that carry out photosynthesis, from different kingdoms. Cyanobacteria, although called “blue algae”, are strictly speaking part of the bacterial kingdom. However, because they carry out photosynthesis, they are popularly considered algae. Furthermore, algae probably originated from cyanobacteria and lived inside the cells of larger organisms (endosymbiotic theory).
Macroalgae are macroscopic in size and more complex in terms of structure. They generally have a plant-like appearance, with structures comparable to stems, leaves and roots. There is evidence that terrestrial plants originated from green algae, developing more specialized structures to adapt to living on land.
Macroalgae are classified into three main groups based on their appearance:
green (Chlorophyceae)
brown (Pheophyceas) red (Rodophyceas)
Macroalgae forests
Macroalgal forests, such as Kelp forests (brown algae), grow in shallow waters where sunlight can penetrate to the ocean floor. They can reach heights up to 45m. They are home to a wide variety of marine life, including fish, invertebrates, molluscs, crustaceans and other organisms. These ecosystems provide shelter, food and breeding grounds for many species. There is a theory that the first humans arrived from Asia to the Americas through the Kelp forests, which provided food and resources for their migration.
humans and algae
Algae have been used in various cultures as food, food additives, fertilizers, cosmetics and other usages. Some species of macroalgae, such as seaweed, are consumed in culinary dishes in many countries, being part of local history and culture.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi | Seaweed Gatherers at
| Japan | Edo Period (1615–1868) | Metropolitan Museum of Art
Omori
Seaweed farms in Xiapu - China
During harvest, farmers dry the seaweed in nets hanging from bamboo poles stuck in the mud. At high tide, these mudflats are flooded, creating a unique landscape. Seaweed farming has grown rapidly in recent years and has become a pillar of the local marine economy in Xiapu.
© Zay Yar Lin
Mulheres de Corpo e Algas (“Women of Body and Algae”) is a project carried out by fishermen’s wives from the community of Barrinha, in the municipality of Icapuí - Ceará, Brazil. They have been cultivating algae for over 12 years and producing food and cosmetics such as soaps, moisturizers and exfoliants. Seaweed also goes into snacks at daycare centers and public schools in Icapuí, being used to produce mousse and gelatin. The project is an economic and social empowerment of women and the community, who previously only sold seaweed at low cost to international cosmetics companies. It was elected by the Ministry of Agriculture as one of the 25 best practices in family farming in Brazil.
Icapuí - Ceará, Brazil @mulheresdecorpoealgass
Mulheres de Corpo e Algas
- Cultivating Sustainability
(Trairi)Ceará, Brazil
The communities of Flecheiras and Guajirú (Trairi - CE) are historically linked to seaweed farming and artisanal fishing. However, fishing and predatory extraction of algae, practiced for more than 30 years, caused an imbalance in the ecosystem, reducing fishing yields by 70%. The Seaweed - Cultivating Sustainability project, an initiative by the Terramar Institute, promoted the recovery and protection of the coastal reefs of Flecheiras. It was achieved through environmental education and training projects for the cultivation of algae on submerged ropes. With the practice of cultivating instead of extracting, natural species began to grow again, feeding the entire food chain and bringing back the abundance of crabs, red snappers, shrimps, lobsters, among others. In the project, women are also protagonists, extracting seedlings and collecting algae, in addition to creating recipes based on seaweed that are already part of local cuisine.
Flecheiras
Seaweed
Algae have shaped the fate of Earth. With their ancient essence, they are present.
In the modern age, where nearly all seems lost, They still hide treasures for the times to come.
A laboratory-atelier on symbiotic futures between humans and algae.
by Susan Moreno
in collaboration with Tiago Rosa and Fabienne Maia
ArtePraia 5th Edition - Fortaleza, Ceará - Brazil
