Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Nitrogen metabolism in cyanobacteria/Mayashree B. Syiem, Arvind Kumar Singh and Amar Nath Rai. 2. A botanical ramble among blue green algae in diverse natural and artificial symbioses/A. Vaishampayan and A.K. Awasthi. 3. Cyanobacterial symbioses: an overview/S.N. Tripathi and Meera Pandey. 4. Algal biodiversity in Ghazipur, U.P./Harendra Nath Das. 5. Algae and aquatic flora in relation to water pollutants/R.N. Yadav and S. Prasad. 6. Chilika lake and its biodiversity/J. Rath and S.P. Adhikary.  7. Algal phenolics: aspects and prospects with special reference to freshwater green and blue green algae/A.P. Sahay, P.K. Das and Prem Kumar Prasad. 8. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation: effects and protective mechanisms in cyanobacteria/Madhu B. Tyagi, Prabhat N. Jha and Ashok Kumar. 9. The effects of antibiotics on blue green algae/S.B. Padhi and P.K. Swain. 10. Effect of diethyl sulphonate on growth and development of Chara vulgaris/Kalpana Kund and Lakshman Labh. 11. Field study of pesticides residue in Nepal/Surendra Narayan Das. 12. Karyotype analysis in the Genus Nitella (Ag.) L./Kiran Bala and M.P. Singh. 13. Karyomorphological studies in Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum (Ag.) Kutz. complex/Prem Kumar Prasad. 14. Environment friendly, nutrient rich food of the millennium-Spirulina/Pushpa Srivastava. 15. Algal biofertilizer: an overview/Abhay Kumar and K.K. Sahu. 16. Algal spectrum of the river Burhi Gandak at Muzaffarpur/Md. Khatibullah Hamidi, K.K. Ambasta and R.R. Sinha. Index.

The book entitled 'Phycology: Aspects and Prospects, the First Volume of Professor B.N. Verma Festschrift series, is the compilation of the works conducted on various facets of basic and applied phycology by the team of eminent phycologists of India. The basic aspects like regional diversity of algae in fresh water and marine ecosystems, effects of mutagens like dES, UV-B and antibiotics and karyotype analyses of two debated groups: Cladophorates and Charophytes have been discussed at length. Pesticide residues which is an upcoming environmental threat of developing countries has been discussed with reference to paddy and diversity of algae in aquatic systems of Nepal and algal spectrum of a river at Muzaffarpur (Bihar). Due emphasis has been given to the Nitrogen metabolism, different dimensions of symbiotic associations of cyanobacteria and nutrient rich Spirulina. Phenolics of fresh water algae which is among the most poorly known aspects has been given  due space. The book would be useful as text book to advanced undergraduate students and to postgraduate students majoring in phycology, and as a reference book to the scientists working on basic as well as the applied phycological projects. (jacket)