The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has designated the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) as a centre of excellence for seaweed cultivation.
- The Mandapam Regional Centre of the CMFRI in Tamil Nadu will serve as a hub for research, development, training and capacity building in seaweed cultivation.
- The centre will promote sustainable seaweed farming practices and address key challenges in the area with an aim to enhance India’s role in the global seaweed industry.
About Seaweed
- “Seaweed” is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
- Some seaweeds are microscopic, such as the phytoplankton that live suspended in the water column and provide the base for most marine food chains.
- Some are enormous, like the giant kelp that grow in abundant “forests” and tower like underwater redwoods from their roots at the bottom of the sea.
- Many seaweeds contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. Their known medicinal effects have been legion for thousands of years.
