Microalgae as environmental helpers: A comprehensive review on their role in climate mitigation, ocean health, and ecosystem restoration

Microalgae are the indispensable components of different ecosystems, ranging from marine and freshwater to terrestrial environments. These tiny organisms contribute a lot to ecological stability, nutrient cycling, and biogeochemical processes. Their potential contribution to environmental sustainability has increasingly been realized, and hence microalgae are now being explored for various applications in climate change mitigation, water quality improvement, and ecosystem restoration. The review hereafter tries to assess in some detail the multiple environmental services of microalgae, with a focus on carbon sequestration, ocean acidification buffering, nutrient recycling, and ecosystem restoration. It focuses on the local uses of microalgae for enhancing coastal and marine ecosystems health, with a focus on sensitive areas. Microalgae have a very important role in the fight against climate change since they can capture atmospheric CO₂, which is functional in the correct running of the carbon cycle. They also contribute to the betterment of water quality by serving as natural biofilters, absorbing excess nutrients and contaminants. Their contribution to aquatic food webs and habitat creation is vital in terms of maintaining biodiversity. In the process of ecosystem restoration, microalgae play a vital role in the rehabilitation of degraded marine, coastal, and terrestrial habitats by stabilizing sediments, enhancing nutrient availability, and supporting ecological resilience. Considering their impressive adaptation and sustainability features, microalgae can form a potentially attractive opportunity for inclusion into global and regional environmental management regimes. More precisely, the involvement of microalgae in conservation endeavors will contribute substantially to water quality improvement, marine biodiversity maintenance, and mitigation of climate change impacts in areas like the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Further research and technology development in various microalgal technologies offer the potential not only to provide solutions to global climate change but can also be used to confront local ecological nuisances.