The invention relates to the field of polymer production, in particular to the production of chitin and chitosan from microalgae belonging to the phylum Haptophyta to the phylum Chlorophyta, or to the phylum Heterokontophyta, particularly from microalgae of the genus Isochrysis, Chlorella, Bracteacoccus, Chlorococcum, Scenedesmus, Dunaliella, Haematococcus, Thalassiosira and Nannochloropsis, as well as to microalgal extracts thereof and their uses.
