Mineral and protein contents of some marine algae from the coastal areas of northern Sri Lanka

Protein and mineral contents of twenty-five species of marine algae from the coastal areas of Northern Sri Lanka are reported. Species such as Centroceros clavulatum, Ulva lactuca, Hypnea musciformis, Acanthophora delilei and Gracilaria edulis are found to have high protein content which are comparable to that in food materials such as cereals, eggs and fish. Algae such as Gracilaria edulis, Laurencia obtusa, Sargassum polycystum, Ulva lactuca and Gracilaria crassa and Thalasia hemprichi (angiosperm) have fairly large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and hence could be used as fertilizers.