The Future of Phycology

F. Evens

Biogeografisch Instituut en Laboratorium voor Oekologie Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Belgium

Let us consider the title of this book: A 19ae and Man. Let us examine some of the facts and present problems and try to take a look at the future evolution of Mankind and Phycology.

Let us start with Man. I would like to draw your attention to four important facts and developments.

The first one: Humanity is hungry. Only one third of the human world population get enough

food, measured in calories, and even less than one third get the required qualitative proportions in their food. In spite of this food shortage, we see that the world population is increasing very rapidly. It has more than doubled during the last 150 years.

All the solutions we can think of can actually be summarized in the following statements:

a. We could eventually check the population increase through private or public generalized birth control. Even if the religious beliefs of the peoples, if their moral concepts or their social insti­tutions, do not interfere with the application of birth control, we cannot expect to check the population increase before some 100 years; that means immediately that our present population will have doubled again.

b. We could eventually increase the food production of the world to keep pace with the population increase. As now all food production is a function of the available food production surface, and as now every population increase reduces this surface, we must in the long run either reach an equilibrium between population and food production or check a further increase of this population.

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D. F. Jackson (ed.), Algae and Man© Plenum Press 1964

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We can increase the food production in three ways:

1. Increase the production per unit of surface. With our present possibilities, this would only mean a drop of water in the ocean of distress.

2. We could increase the surface of the traditional food pro­duction areas by including the land at present uncultivated. This is, as you know, a very difficult problem, for we do not know actu­ally how to cultivate the tropical soils without exposing them to tremendous fast erosion. However, the study of soil algae and soil microbiology in general could throw some light on this problem. The alginates, on the other hand, could bring us a step nearer to a solution.

3. The third way would be to increase the food production surface by including the oceans. Here again we come to the prob­lem of the algae, the grazing fields upon which all animals thrive in a direct or indirect way. Strangely enough, almost nothing is known about the way the algae are transformed into animal pro­teins or about which algae are the most efficiently transformed into fish, or finally why there is a seasonal succession in the pro­duction of algae.

The second important development going on: The pollution of our natural waters.

The increase in population, the extension of our industries, the birth of our atomic centers lead us to the most important prob­lems of the pollution of our natural waters, the concentration of radioactive material, and biological sanitation. We must face those problems right now. The algae are of the utmost importance in this area, as you know.

The third important process going on: The destruction through chemicals.

The application on a big scale of insecticides, herbicides, and molluscicides poses, in my opinion, very grave problems for the future of the cultivated soils and for the biological sanitation of the waters, as the algae and probably quite a number of other organisms are destroyed by those substances. This could be especially true for subtropical and tropical countries where agri­cultural needs as well as the health of the human populations

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commit the governmental services to undertake large-scale operations.

The fourth point bears upon the beginning of the space age. The problems of food supply, oxygen supply, and carbon

dioxide fixation for space men are surely interesting and will benefit phycology in general.

In my opinion, however, the fact that we are trying to set up biological surroundings, ecological systems, instead of purely chemical or physical ones, means that the idea of a biological dynamic equilibrium is gaining ground-and this idea is very important.

By the way, a better knowledge of the organic substances built up by the algae could perhaps lead to less expensive chemical syntheses. It would put us on the track of the energy-saving pro­cedures we surely need, if we want to extend our standard of living to the whole world population.

These are some of the facts and the problems of mankind and, as you see, they bear a direct relation to microbiology in general and to phycology in particular.

As we look at the enormous sums spent on medical research in every country of the world, and at the same time look at the ridiculously small sums spent on fundamental biological research and on phycology in particular, it seems that we are putting up all our forces for the survival of the least fit, that we are trying to prevent or cure mankind of some diseases but let it die of hunger.

We come now to the second Pole: The algae.

You are far more conscious than I am of the hundreds of prob­lems encountered in phycology. I would only like to draw your attention to the position of phycology in the framework of the biological sciences and also to some general trends of investigation that seem not to have been favored by the students of phycology.

The first point: The position of phycology in the framework of the biological sciences.

Until quite recently, phycology has been considered as an outsider, an unlawful child of mother Botany. A real botanist could only have been interested in phycology as a part-time job.

However, in my opinion we must see the algae in the general evolution of all animate things. We must be aware that we tackle

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in phycology the basic problems of the botanical as well as of the zoological branch. We study the trunk of the tree, not only the twigs.

And although the purpose of our meeting is the study of the algae, I cannot believe that we must stop at the strict definition of algae. I would like to see this phycology really incorporated in that bigger complex that we generally call microbiology and that up till now has always had such a strong and exclusive flavor of parasitology and bacteriology.

The problems of phycology are in a way the problems of the protista.

They are not the problems of the different roads along which animate beings evolved, but of the carrefour itself from where the separation occurred.

The second point: General trends of investigation that seem not to have been favored by the students of phycology.

Given that we have at our disposal very good media for the culturing of pathological bacteria and viruses, given that we know quite a lot about their food requirements and genetics, given that we can even dose the presence of some vitamins through these cultures, we are scarcely at the beginning of pure cultures of algae and we know so little about their specific food requirements, their physiology or their genetics.

And now, do you not think with me that these pure cultures would provide an excellent, even a unique, key in the study of some of the most urgent problems? Before going on, I shall sum up some of them:

The study of phycological taxonomy and systematics in general. The study of evolution in general and the adaptation of the

species in particular. The physiology of the primitive beings: their general reactions,

their biological cyclus, their food requirements, their excretions. The general biochemistry, the study of energy transfer and the

production of organic substances. Could these investigations not lead us to an easier and better

understanding of the complex problems of ecology, of population studies, of studies on the interaction of living beings? Could the geneticists not produce through selection, crossing, or polyploidy some species better adapted to our requirements or to the require-

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ments of the fishes we are so interested in for their proteins? Would it be a fantasy to think that the algae could give us wonderful drugs against bacteria and perhaps viruses, or that they could replace, very cheaply, complicated and expensive syntheses of organic substances, or finally provide the dung and stabilization substances for tropical or difficult soils?

I know that the major problems of biology have been with us for a very long time, and that we are not likely to solve them at this meeting, or this year or next. But just through the study of phycology, through the careful study of these primitive beings and the basic problems they offer, we can use the acquired know­ledge to see what is the real nature of the problems and we may hope gradually to approach a correct account of past, present, and future processes.

As you are all aware, the development of microbiology (as defined above) in general and of phycology in particular is not only wishful-it is an urgent necessity.

It is a necessity because the study of these primitive beings can and probably will give us the clue to a better understanding of the biological problems in general.

It is a necessity because phycology means perhaps one of the most economical ways by which we can extend the surface of our food production areas.

It is a necessity because phycology stands for the grazing spaces of the oceans, the production of fish, the production of animal proteins we will need so much during the next hundred years.

What can we do? This meeting is a proof that the higher circles and govern­

mental institutions are really aware of the problems humanity is facing and that they look for the practical solutions that can be thought of.

As I said at the beginning, an international meeting, with plenty of time for getting to know the people and taking part in the dis­cussions is, without any doubt, excellent, and I am very grateful for this opportunity. The publication of the lectures and the dis­cussions is a further step; but we can do better.

We must develop phycology. More people must become in­terested in the problems that are ours. We must provide the possi­bilities for a more rapid turnover of ideas. Finally, we must more

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or less standardize our methods of investigation and pursue logi­cally, without wasting brains and money, the solution of the tre­mendous scientific and practical social problems humanity is facing now. Phycology is more than a simple section of the academic sciences; it is embracing a field of applications so wide that even the field of applied entomology seems small.

However, let us first look at and try to discover a solution for some of the practical situations the research worker in phycology is confronted with.

We know so little about research workers in our own country and far less of those in other countries. Phycologists and proto­zoologists are generally submerged in the long lists of botanists, limnologists, or zoologists. We scarcely know some of the names, rarely their addresses or their specializations and likings.

Research work on phycology is published in so many different journals that it is really impossible, even for well-equipped centers, to obtain a complete survey of the studies in a special field.

Not many research workers, especially the younger ones, have the opportunity of hearing for themselves the most im­portant developmental aspects and problems of modern phycology from the most outstanding specialists here present, nor do they always see the relative urgency of different research projects.

Finally, so many research projects call for a close coopera­tion between different disciplines, or can take profit from the insight or the experience gathered in other fields. However, if cooperation is a necessity, if the desire for international coope~a­tion can be found easily among the research workers, reality can be quite different.

Therefore, I would like to present to this meeting four suggestions aimed, I believe, at the practical solution of some of our present difficulties.

The first suggestion:

Out of the general reports and the discussions brought forth at this meeting, we should distill a series of specific and well­outlined problems in every branch of phycological research. These problems would be ranked, according to the criteria of urgency, in the light of general biology as well as in the perspective of prac­tical realizations. The list of these problems could eventually be mailed to all universities and specialized institutions in the world,

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so that during the next few years we would really get more informa­tion about these urgent problems.

The second suggestion:

A complete list of phycologists, with addresses and speciali­zations, from all over the world would be made and sent free of charge to everyone interested in phycological problems.

The third suggestion:

In relation to the first and the second suggestions, an inter­national permanent bureau would be set up, with the aim of giving regularly and free of charge a complete list of the most recent bibliography on phycology.

The budget question is naturally always a big problem. How­ever, I think that such a permanent bureau could do excellent work without great expense under the following conditions:

The director would be a phycologist attached as professor or research head at one of the larger institutions or universities, where nearly every opportunity exists for consulting the scientific journals of the world. The director's work, being only supervisory, would be unpaid. The practical work could be done by a bibliog­rapher and a typist. They would collect, classify, and roneotype or print the original titles (with English translation) of all the bibliographical items on phycology and closely related fields, in such a way that the correspondents, receiving this information free, could classify it directly into their files. The bibliographer, the typist, and the otherwise relatively small expenses of the bureau could certainly be paid for through the help of a national or inter­national organization. The director of this permanent bureau would be assisted in the elaboration of the general policy of the bureau, and eventually in the preparation of subsequent international meetings, by an international advisory panel of five to ten phycol­ogists of the most diverse countries of the world.

Finally the fourth suggestion (and perhaps the most difficult one to realize in a practical way):

Let us not only speak about cooperation, let us try it. We could select one or two of the most urgent problems in

phycology and try to solve them through the active cooperation of everyone present at this meeting.

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How could it be done? Let us set aside all personal or national pride and choose, let us

say, a general manager for the project. Beside::; his personal part in the project, he would have to collect all the other reports. He could make suggestions during the development of the research project in the light of information received from other participants. Naturally, research workers or students outside the present ones could join in the project and take their part. A limiting date for the project would be set up now.

As I said a few minutes ago, let us not only speak about cooperation, let us not only cooperate through exchange of ideas and discussions during these three weeks as guests of our wonder­ful hosts; let us try to cooperate actively during the following years.

Let us set an example of international understanding between men of good will and show that we are able to set aside our personal and national prides, that we can think and work freely together in a spirit of brotherhood to the benefit of humanity.

Let us demonstrate that science and the scientific method can bring people together in a common and constructive effort, above all differences in religious, moral, or political beliefs, to solve the exceptional problems of our generation.

Let us show the world that scientists are not the outsiders of our modern society, the ones who develop new pathways of living and evolution into which other people are more or less forced by the economic implications, but that scientists also can plan for themselves and freely follow the developmental lines alopg which science may achieve a smoother, a more unified and generalized progress to the benefit of mankind.

And I would like to conclude: You are fully convinced that the algae constitute a most im­

portant object in the series of animate beings. You are convinced that in their study lies the understanding and probably the solution of many of the problems of general biology. You are aware that the exploitation of algae forms the basis of the new ways that are ur­gently needed to obtain enough food for the ever-increasing world population.

Finally, everyone is fully aware that the solutions of most of the present scientific problems need cooperation between research workers, that teamwork and cooperation are neither a natural habit nor a fashionable trend in our modern society, but a strict necessity if we want to solve the problems. Well then, if the foregoing facts

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and conclusions are right, and I believe they are, let us take our good will and courage in both hands, let us tread together the difficult path of progress.

And if under way, someone under the pressure of the diffi­culties would like to throw it all away and live for and by himself, let him be helped by the knowledge that his work really means relief from permanent hunger and disease for so many people. And let him also be helped by this consideration: Peace and brotherhood can never blossom in a world where hungry stomachs are the lot of the vast majority.