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14.5.2. Uses of seaweeds


Seaweeds are important as food for humans, feed for animals, and fertilizer for plants.


Seaweeds are used as a drug for goiter treatment, intestinal and stomach disorders.


Products like agar-agar and alginates, iodine which are of commercial value, are extracted from seaweeds.


By the biodegradation of seaweeds methane like economically important gases can be produced in large quantities.

Extracts of some seaweed species show antibacterial activity.


Seaweeds are also used as the potential indicators of pollution in coastal ecosystem, particularly heavy metal pollution due to their ability to bind and accumulate metals strongly.