Powerful Antioxidant Compounds that Help Algae Respond to Environmental Stressors

In this episode, I’m joined by Sara Roosvall, a marine science researcher and hobby artist currently studying in the Marine Ecology Programme at Nord University.Sara holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Marine Science and Biology from University of Gothenburg. Her research focuses on brown algae and the role of phlorotannins — powerful antioxidant compounds that help algae respond to environmental stressors such as light, UV radiation, temperature, and salinity.In her work, Sara has studied three species of brown algae and compounds that are not only important for the survival of algae in changing marine environments, but are also attracting interest from the cultivation and pharmaceutical industries because of their potential health-related properties in humans.Alongside her thesis research, Sara also explored how algae change their antioxidant and pigment levels with age. Her curiosity led her even further into marine pigments when she began experimenting with sea urchin shells, discovering delicate purple-pink tones hidden inside after milling them.