Seaweeds

Kaladharan, P and Jayasankar, Reeta (2003) Seaweeds. In: Status of Exploited Marine Fishery Resources of India. CMFRI, Cochin, pp. 228-239. ISBN 81-901219-3-6

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Abstract

Seaweeds are macroscopic marine algae attached to solid substratum, growing in the shallow waters of sea. They belong to the primitive group of Thallophyta and are classified into three major Classes viz. Chlorophyceae (green algae), Phaeophyceae (brown algae) and Rhodophyceae (red algae). Seaweeds are important marine resources exploited for their commercial value as the source of phycocolloids such as agar, agarose, algin and carrageenan (Table 1), besides their use as food, source of enzymes, dyes, drugs, growth promoters, etc. In India, seaweeds are harvested from the natural beds along the Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts since 1966. Seaweed resources in our coastal waters are inadequate to meet the growing demand for the supply of raw materials to the seaweed industries. There is thus the need to cultivate commercially important seaweeds to augment the supply of raw materials to the existing industries and for their sustenance. This article reviews the current status of seaweed resources in India, their farming and industrial utilization.

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