This is a timely article, considering that I’m getting Science’s spirulina farm set up.
"Though algae isn’t (yet) common chow in the United States, it’s been consumed by human beings for thousands of years. Seaweed is commonly eaten in Japan, China, and Korea; and figures in the native cuisines of Brittany, Wales, Iceland, and Ireland. Irish moss (Chondrus crispus)—actually a seaweed, commonly known as carrageen—is traditionally used in Irish soups and puddings. Algae’s lush battery of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants have led some to tout it as an up-and-coming superfood, in the same class as kale, blueberries, and green tea.
“However, most research on microalgae in past decades has concentrated on its potential use as a biofuel, a possibility that to date hasn’t panned out. The problem, according to geneticist/entrepreneur Craig Venter—famed for being one of the first to sequence the human genome—is farming. No one has yet managed to grow oil-producing algae in sufficient quantities to challenge the fossil-fuel companies.”
“Make Way for Algae on Your Dinner Plate”
http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/04/make-way-for-algae-on-your-dinner-plate/