Four edible species of Chlorophyceae collected from Visakhapatnam coast were analysed for their photosynthetic pigments such as Chl – a, Chl – b and carotenoids. The environmental variables such as light, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, phosphate and silicate were also measured for the same period at the same location. Interspecific variations were occurred in distribution of pigments. Of the pigments analysed, the Chl – b was high and it was followed by Chl – a and carotenoids. In Ulva fasciata higher content of chl – a and Chl – b were occurred during rainy season and carotenoids were higher in summer. In Enteromorpha compressa and Caulerpa racemosa the photosynthetic pigments were high during summer season. In Caulerpa sertularioides chl – a and chl – b were high during winter and carotenoids during summer season. The pigment ratios of Chl – b/ chl – a were high in Caulerpa racemosa among the four species and it varied from 0.84 to 1.85 among the these species. A significant positive correlation was found for pigments with their environmental variables at P ≥ 0.05 level. In Ulva fasciata, phosphate correlated with Chl – b. In Enteromorpha. compressa the carotenoids correlated with light, phosphate and silicate. In Caulerpa racemosa the content of chl - b was correlated with contents of nitrite and phosphate. In Caulerpa sertularioides the carotenoids correlated with the dissolved oxygen.
