ABSTRACT
The use of marine plants, both for food and medicinal purposes, was recorded in China thousands of years ago. Presently, seaweed remains widely used as food items in certain Asian countries. The world production of seaweed approximates 4 million metric tons annually. More than 80% of this production is from the Asian Pacific region. A large part of this is produced and consumed in China, Japan, and Korea (McHugh and Lanier, 1984; Anon., 1992). The seaweed industry is also established in other Asian countries, in cluding the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and India.
