Status and future of marine algal research on the East Coast of India

Abstract

The east coast of India, including the maritime states of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and part of Tamil Nadu, provides an unique environment for marine communities, since major rivers like Ganges, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauveri, open into Bay of Bengal and highly productive mangrove habitats occur in the river deltas and coral reefs at the southern end. In these marine habitats two types of algae occur- the macro algae or seaweeds and the micro algae or phytoplankton.