The seaweeds form one of the important marine living resources. They are primitive type of plants growing in the intertidal or sub-tidal regions of the sea. They flourish wherever rocky or coral substratum is available for their attachment
with the help of the rhlzoids or holdfast. Some of the seaweeds grow in the estuary es and backwaters too. Depending upon the type of pigment present and the other morphological and anatomical structures, the seaweeds are broadly grouped into green, brown, red and bluegreen algae. Seaweeds are used as human food, live
stock feed and fertilizer for land crops in many countries. Phycocolloids such as agar-agar and carrageenan are obtained from red seaweeds. Algin (Sodium alginate), mannitol and iodine are extracted from brown seaweeds. These phytochemicals are used in food, confectionary, pharmaceutical, dairy, textile, paper, paint and varnish industries as gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents. the seaweeds are now used mostly as raw materials for the production of agar-agar
and sodium alginat
