Seaweeds Of India

India has 7,500 km of coastline with diverse habitats and rich biota. Coastal ecosystems, unfortunately, are experiencing wide range of pressures due to siltation, eutrophication, coastal development, aquaculture and climate change. Those species that adapt to these pressures will expand their living boundaries while others may fade away. Accordingly, the study of coastal biodiversity is of great concern globally and constitutes an important element of global change research. Gujarat has 1,600 km of coastline, reportedly with rich diversity of seaweeds. Previously published accounts on seaweed biodiversity were mainly in the form of checklists, the earliest among these being the checklist of Krishnamurthy and Joshi prepared in the early 1970s. The more recent checklists are based almost entirely on secondary information. The present book entitled Seaweeds of India – The Diversity and Distribution of Seaweeds of Gujarat Coast is a timely publication based wholly on primary data. Data were collected through extensive and systematic ? eld studies conducted by the authors during different seasons over a three year period. The authors collected nearly 200 species of seaweeds belonging to 100 genera of Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta. Twenty-four of the species are new to Gujarat coast and three are new to Indian waters. The book contains high-quality images of the different species in their existing habitats. Brief taxonomical descriptions, together with information on ecology, distribution, seasonality and abundance, are covered for each of the species.

The term ‘seaweed’ represents an assemblage of a diverse group of photosynthetic aquatic plants that are exceptionally unique in their form, function, structure, and biochemical composition. In Far East Asian countries, seaweeds are popularly utilised in human food preparations, in addition to being used as a source of raw material for the extraction of industrially important phycocolloids and agro-based products. More recently, there has been growing interest in the application of seaweed ingredients in beauty and novelty food products, nutraceuticals, bioplastics, and beverages, among others, as well as its potential as a source for biofuels Seaweed, though it is a primitive plant, has complex morphological structure, meaning species-level identification of an individual seaweed is a difficult task. This volume describes the identification characteristics of 256 seaweed species collected from the south-east coast of India; comprising 71 species of green algae (chlorophyceae), 46 species of brown algae (phaeophyceae) and 139 species of red algae (rhodophyceae). Key taxonomic characteristics detailed here allow the confirmation of identification of different kinds of seaweed. As such, the book forms an excellent field guide for beginners in seaweed research, marine botanists, students, researchers, divers, and anyone who has interest in knowing more about seaweeds.

India has a coastline of more than 7000 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over 2 million km2. A total of 770 species of seaweeds have been reported from different parts of the Indian coasts which includes 184 species of green, 166 species of brown and 420 species of red (Sahoo et al., 2001). Unlike the East Asian countries such as Japan, China, Korea, etc., India does not have a long history of using seaweeds as food and for various other purposes. However, in recent years a lot of interest has been generated by the industries, academia and researchers in the field of seaweeds research and utilization. One of the most difficult jobs in this area is the identification of various species. This book deals with identification of some of the common seaweeds of the Indian coast. Only the most suitable specimens are described and illustrated with colour photographs. Most of the photographs were taken in the natural habitat, but in some cases herbarium specimens have been used. The work is the compilation of the author's studies of more than two decades. Common Seaweeds of India will be useful to teachers, researchers, students, industries and many others in identifying the seaweeds.

This book is the result of seventeen-years research by the author on farming of seaweeds wich are used as food, fodder, feed, fertilizer, medicines and source of various fine chemicals like agar, carrageenan and alginates, Seaweeds is a multibillion industry. It has been designed specifically in the Indian context in a very concise and informative manner.

India has contributed significant diversity in coastal and oceanic ecosystems with a cost line of 7500 km. Gujarat is endowed with the longest (1600 km) shoreline, having diverse seaweed flora compared to other states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala of West Coast of India. Among two Gulfs of Gujarat, Gulf of Khambhat contributes large amount of water and sediments, and it consists of seven estuaries, whereas, Gulf of Kutch inputs are very less. On 9 September, 2013, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) declared India's first marine eco-sensitive zone around Marine National Park in Gulf of Kutch, and confirmed 313 sq. km. around the park as an eco-sensitive zone. In spite of lower inputs, Gulf of Kutch bears good diversity due to different types of habitats like sandy, rocky calcareous seabed and coral beds, seaweeds and mangroves in the relatively sheltered waters of the Gulf. Seaweeds are important living resources of this marine national park. Seaweeds are also known as benthic marine algae, live either in marine or brackish water and contain different photosynthetic pigments. Seaweeds are mostly found in the coastal region between high tide to low tide and in the sub-tidal region where appropriate photosynthetic light is available and utilizing nutrients from seawater and sunlight and synthesize foods. Unlike true plants, seaweeds do not contain root, stem, or leaves; instead, they have thallus that consists of the holdfast, stipe, and blade. Okha Coast (Gulf of Kutch) is rich in seaweed with diversified species. Coral reefs and other rocks provide suitable substrate for the maximized growth of seaweed species in this habitat. The coast is characterized by mixed tides and generally with narrow intertidal regions. Seaweeds are used in many coastal countries, mainly in Asia, Japan, Korea, and China as a source of food, raw material for industries and as fertilizer. The main usages of seaweeds are as foods, feed, cosmetics, fertilizers, bioactive compounds, industrial gums, and chemicals. Some seaweed can be used in controlling goiter disease caused by enlargement of thyroid glands, as they are rich source iodine. Diseases caused by vitamin deficiency such as vitex, asthma, tooth decay etc., may be eliminated using seaweeds in the food. In the present book Biodiversity, Neutraceutical and Biofertilizer Characters of Seaweeds of Gulf of Kachchh, India, authors have employed their painstaking efforts to investigate seasonal seaweed diversity in relation to hydro-geochemical properties of Bet Dwarka, Okha Coast, nutraceutical properties of seaweeds (Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta), effect of seaweeds extract on seed germination, viability and biochemical composition of Onion, Soyabean and Sesame seeds, seaweeds as biofertilizers in ex-situ experiment on Fenugreek and Spinach seeds, and phylogenetic relationships among seaweed species and genetical identification by DNA bar-coding using tufA gene for green and COI gene for brown and red algae. This book will certainly be helpful to students, researchers, academicians, scientists, and marine authorities of Gujarat and India, to enrich their knowledge in cutting edge of research in the field of marine ecology and biodiversity.

Literature Review from the year 2023 in the subject Biology - Ecology, , language: English, abstract: Increasing in importance in India, seaweed is used and cultivated for a wide range of purposes in different sectors. This paper summarizes the evolving field of seaweed production, which includes both conventional and cutting-edge approaches that are appropriate for India's climate and geographic requirements. It explores the biochemical makeup of commonly grown seaweed species and their implications for different sectors, as well as the growing practices. Seaweed's use in food, nutraceuticals, medicines, agriculture, cosmetics, and other industries is thoroughly examined in this review, which highlights its potential as a rich source of bioactive chemicals and functional components. It also assesses the financial and environmental effects of seaweed farming, emphasizing its potential for both environmental preservation and sustainable economic growth. This review highlights the potential of seaweed as a rich source of bioactive compounds and functional components and comprehensively examines its use in food, nutraceuticals, medications, agriculture, cosmetics, and other industries. The potential of seaweed farming for both environmental protection and long-term economic growth is highlighted as it also evaluates the financial and environmental implications of the practice.