Saccharina latissima, a brown algae native to North Atlantic and North Pacific, has received increasing attention recently for its potential for high-yield biomass production and rich content of valuable biomolecules. Extracts of alginate, mannitol, fucoidans, laminarin, proteins, and lipids are among the top value-added algal products possessing the potential to improve the net profitability of seaweed bioeconomic businesses.

This review provides a systematic overview of the spatial and temporal variations in the content of biomolecular constituents of S. latissima on the basis of 34 currently available scientific studies containing primary measurements. We demonstrate the potential revenue of seaweed production and biorefinery systems by compiling a product portfolio of high-value extract products and assuming that S. latissima biomass is processed in a phase I biorefinery (i.e., producing one type of extract product at a time). Further, an investigation into the endogenous rhythms and extrinsic factors that impact the biomolecular composition of S. latissima is presented, and key performance factors for optimizing seaweed production are identified. Besides the provisioning ecosystem service, we highlight the contribution of green-engineered seaweed production systems to the mitigation of the ongoing and historical anthropogenic disturbances of the climate balance and nutrient flows. We conclude that there are risks of mismanagement, and we stress the importance and necessity of creating an adaptive ecosystem-based management framework within a triple-helix partnership for balancing the utilization of ecosystem services and long-term resilience of aquatic environment.