Estimates of number, density and wet biomass of seaweed resources and their availability for exploitation for phycocolloid extraction along the Kerala coast in relation to water quality were studied using the data collected at quarterly intervals from nine stations during 1998 and 1999. A total of 37 species of seaweeds were collected and out of these, 13 were grouped under Class Chlorophyceae (green seaweeds), 7 under Phaeophyceae (brown seaweeds) and 17 under Rhodophyceae (red seaweeds). Agar yielding seaweeds were represented by seven species and the major resources were Gracilaria corticata, G. foliifera, Gelidiopsis variabilis and Gelidium pusillum during 1998 and 1999 besides the species of Pterocladia during 1999. Alginophytes were represented by Sargassum wightii, S. duplicatum, S. tenerimum, Stoechospermum marginatum, Dictyota dichotoma and Padina spp. The carrageenan yielding red seaweeds were more in number (nine species) belonging to seven Genera. Out of them, Hypnea musciformis, H. valentiae, Grateloupia filicina, G. lithophila and a new resource Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, from Dhalavapuram and Kannur stations were available in considerable quantities. The richest diversity of seaweeds was observed at Mullur (Vizhinjam) and Thikkodi (Calicut)  followed by Thirumallavaram (Quilon).

Seaweeds, resource assessment, Kerala coast, hydrography, agarophytes