Seaweed for Food Source and Biocontrol

Seaweed can be potential source of nutrients and bioprotection agents. This bounty of resource is underutilised which has the potential to provide good employment and income to the coastal poor communities. In aquasystems these algae would utilise polluting chemicals and maintains good oxygen levels hence energy rich value added product recovery is possible.

MCRC has been involved in the research on cultivating marine algae for food production using different techniques, viz, cultivation (as biofilters) along with aquaculture units, tissue cuture, artificial cutluring by technology standardisation, etc.

Ulva lactuca, Gracilaria verrucosa and Gracilaria edulis were used for extraction of agar and field tests like biocontrol and growth promoting agents from marine algae with respect to agricutlure uses are under progress.