Unleashing the Power of Seaweeds

Genesis

The Seaweed Research and Utilisation Association is a Non-Government Organisation. At a preliminary meeting of some scientists and industrialists interested in seaweeds held on 6th December 1969 at Mandapam Camp, it was decided to name the association “The Seaweed Research and Utilisation Association of India” and throw membership open to all those who are interested in the biology, collection, utilisation and processing of seaweeds in India. The Association was established in 1970 at the initiative of Prof. V. Krishnamurthy, Founder-President, who was at that time working as an Assistant Director, Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar and was stationed at Mandapam, Tamil Nadu, in charge of the field station of CSMCRI and subsequently named Marine Algal Research Station of CMFRI. The Association was inaugurated on 6th September 1970 by late Dr (Mrs) Francesca Thivy, a pioneer researcher in the field of seaweed utilisation. The Association started functioning with barely 25 members and it had steadily grown since then. Now, the Association has on its roles 88 Annual Members, 117 Life Members and 10 institutional Members. The Association was registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 with Reg. No. 36/1970 at Sivaganga.

It was decided at the meeting held on 6^th December 1969 at Mandapam Camp to bring out the journal “Seaweed Research and Utilisation” and the journal shall accept original scientific contributions as well as news and information about the seaweed industry. The first volume of the journal was brought out in December 1971 with Dr V. Krishnamurthy and Mr. B.V. Gopal as its editors. Because of financial constraints and other unavoidable reasons, the publication of the journal could not be resumed for a few years. But in 1977 volume 2 of the journal appeared and since then the journal has been published regularly.