An Asian algae that traveled from Venezuela to Brazil, the next great crop stimulant? The cultivation of algae for agricultural use has enormous potential for the economy and the environment. Kappaphycus alvarezii is a red algae (Rhodophyta) that can be red, green or yellowish.
It arrived from Asia to America in 1994. It is a macroalgae native to the coral reefs of the Philippines, Malaysia and the Seychelles Islands, says Miguel Sepúlveda, biologist who introduced it to Brazil.