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Ecology & Environment
Pradeep Kumar

28/03/21 09:20 AM IST

New species of red algae

In news

Two new species of seaweed have been discovered by a group of marine biologists from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.

Highlights
  • Named Hypnea indica (after India) and Hypnea bullata (because of the blisterlike marks on its body – bullate), the seaweeds are part of the genus Hypnea or red seaweeds.
  • The genus Hypnea consists of calcareous, erect, branched red seaweeds.
  • “There are 61 species of which 10 were reported in India. With two new species, the total number of species now would be 63
  • Species of Hypnea contain the biomolecule carrageenan, which is widely used in the food industry.
  • As the two species have been found on the west and south east coasts of India, it suggests good prospects for their cultivation which can be put to good use economically.
Application
  • Hypnea indica was discovered Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, and Somnath Pathan and Sivrajpur in Gujarat, Hypnea bullata was discovered from Kanyakumari and Diu island of Daman and Diu.
  • The two species have been found on the west and south east coasts of India, it suggests good prospects for their cultivation which can be put to good use economically.
  • The study also reports one other species of Hypnea for the first time in Indian coasts, Hypnea nidifica.
  • Several recent studies have shown that algae with calcareous mineral deposits are prone for the damage from ocean acidification – an aftermath of climate change.
  • As carbon dioxide in the atmosphere gets dissolved in ocean waters, the seawater becomes more acidic.
  • Algae like Hypnea cannot survive in acidic seawater, hence, the only way to help these species is to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by adopting sustainable lifestyle choices.
Source: The Hindu

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