Studies on salinity tolerance and acclimatization of some commercially important seaweeds

Studies were made on salinity tolerance and acclimatization of 13 economically important red, brown and green algae at different salinities ranging from 5 to 55%. Caulerpa rocemosa degenerated after 3 days in all these salinities. Hypnea valentiae tolerated a wide saliniiy range of 15 to 45% and Gracilaria crassa and Acanthophora spicifera from 15 to 55%. All other algae tolerated only 25 and 35%. Experiments conducted on salinity acclimatization showed that A.spicifera could be acclimatized at the salinities from 55 to 15% and all other algae from 55 to 25% except C. racemosa.