Marine Phytoplankton

UMAC Marine Phytoplankton Sciences

UMAC (Unique Marine Algae Concentrate) uses Alpha 3 CMP as the base of their products. Alpha 3 CMP is a unique nutrient-rich blend of marine phytoplankton harvested from the pristine temperate coastal waters of the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is classified as brown algae and is a blend of several species of marine phytoplankton. The turbulence created by the interaction of fresh water and ocean water draws from additional deep water nutrients to create an exceptional cauldron of life to support a diverse array of marine phytoplankton species.

The proprietary patent-pending process harvests natural seawater, capturing the marine phytoplankton in million-liter tanks. This is the only known product to take natural marine phytoplankton communities containing a complete suite of marine trace elements in proportion to those found naturally in human tissue. Throughout this unique growing and harvesting process, quality control and testing is employed to ensure the highest quality products, providing assurance that no pathogens, toxins, heavy metals or contamination has occurred to the natural marine phytoplankton. The concentrated paste contains hundreds of species (primarily from the larger, nutrient-rich Bacillariophyceae classification commonly known as diatoms). Through the harvesting process the Company’s proprietary technology breaks down the cellular walls, separating the silicate walls and releasing the nutrients that are otherwise encapsulated.

This process makes the nutrients immediately bioavailable. The raw paste at this point contains approximately 85% water. It next goes to a leading phytopharmaceutical manufacturer and private labeler in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadian Phytopharmaceutical Corporation (CPC), which is fully certified Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) by Health Canada, where it is further concentrated, passing through the highest standard quality assurance procedures (sanitized and stabilized) to certify Alpha 3 CMP is safe for human consumption.

UMAC has developed and formulated two products for human consumption. The capsule product contains organic maltodextrin as a delivery system. The concentrated liquid product is in a base of organic glycerin. The products utilize the micronutrients found only in the ocean. Each provides a wide spectrum of nutrients including vitamins, amino acids (protein), rare trace elements, minerals and cellular materials needed to achieve and maintain a healthy and energetic lifestyle.

Phytoplankton Comparison

Marine Origin

Marine Phytoplankton
UMAC CORE is a blend of several species of marine phytoplankton, primarily from the larger, nutrient-rich Bacillariophyceae (classified commonly as diatoms). The proprietary patented process harvests natural seawater, capturing the marine phytoplankton in million liter tanks. This is the only known product to take natural marine phytoplankton communities containing a complete set of marine trace elements in proportion to those found naturally in human plasma. All marine phytoplankton are classified as microalgae, but not all microalgae are marine phytoplankton.

Microalgae
Kelp are large macroalgae (seaweeds), belonging to the brown algae. Kelp grows in underwater forests (kelp forests) in clear, shallow oceans requiring water temperature to be below about 20º C. It offers protection to some sea creatures, or food for others. Of the more common algae products currently on the market, Kelp is correctly classified as a marine macroalgae.

Freshwater Origin

Spirulina
Spirulina is a simple, one celled form of algae that grows in warm freshwater environments. Even though spirulina is distantly related to kelp, it is not a sea plant. The freshwater ponds and lakes it favors are notably more alkaline than ordinary lakes and cannot sustain any other forms of microorganisms.

Chlorella
Chlorella is a form of unicellular green algae found in still, freshwater soil or bark of trees. Chlorella has a strong cell wall that prevents it’s native form from being adequately broken-down and absorbed by the human digestive system. Special processing is required to break it’s cell wall.

How UMAC Stands Out

The most important thing to remember when dealing with algae is that not all algae are phytoplankton. However, all phytoplankton are algae. In addition, not all phytoplankton are marine algae. The primary difference between our product UMAC-CORE and others on the market is that we provide a natural blend of indigenous species with a suite of nutrients.

Marine phytoplankton, also known as marine microalgae, comprise thousands of species of photosynthetic, unicellular organisms belonging to the Kingdom Protista. Temperate coastal waters, such as those along British Columbia (BC), experience high levels of productivity and support a diverse array of microalgal species from numerous groups called classes.

The word “microalgae” is a very broad term for all microscopic, photosynthetic protists. (Technically, algae are not plants because they lack a vascular system.) Microalgae that float or swim in the will-lit regions of the oceans, lakes and other water bodies are termed “phytoplankton”. Microalgae that live on surfaces like the sea floor, wharf pilings, or river bottoms are termed “benthic microalgae”. Simply put, all phytoplankton are microalgae, but not all microalgae occur in the plankton.

“Algae” is one of the most misused terms in the consumer markets partly because in science, the term “algae” can refer to any plant in a wet environment without true roots or leaves. With such a broad definition as “wet environment” distinctions between marine, freshwater or even land based algal growths are often misrepresented. Often the terms “microalgae” and “macroalgae” are used in an attempt to distinguish between microscopic organisms such as phytoplankton and larger organisms such as seaweed or kelp. Although these terms have helped, much confusion still exists.

Just as “algae” has a broad definition, so does phytoplankton. Among the various classes of phytoplankton you find marine, freshwater and terrestrial based species. So, just because someone labels a product microalgae or phytoplankton the reality of what they are using is usually different.

Most of the world’s current production of microalgae for human consumption centers on the genera – Chlorella (Chlorophyceae), Dunaliella (Chlorophyceae), and Spirulina (Cyanophyceae). These organisms generally require extreme conditions to grow, conditions which facilitate easy cultivation due to low risk of contamination (by fungus and bacteria, or by other microalgae). For instance, Dunaliella salina requires very high salanites while cyanobacteria like Spirulina platensis need highly alkaline conditions. Most microalgae species, however, grow best in conditions that are optimal for hundreds of other species. This is primarily why so much research is directed to scaling up photo-bioreactors – enclosed growth chambers where all aspects of the environment are controlled and contamination is minimized.