Commercial seaweed cultivation has undergone drastic changes to keep up with the increasing demand in terms of the quantity and quality of the algal biomass needed to meet the requirements of constant innovation in industrial applications. Diseases caused by both biotic and abiotic factors have been identified as contributing to the economic loss of precious biomass. Biosecurity risk will eventually affect seaweed production as a whole and could cripple the seaweed industry. The current review sheds light on the biosecurity measures that address issues in the seaweed industry pushing towards increasing the quantity and quality of algal biomass, research on algal diseases, and tackling existing challenges as well as discussions on future directions of seaweed research. The review is presented to provide a clear understanding of the latest biosecurity developments from several segments in the seaweed research, especially from upstream cultivation encompassing the farming stages from seeding, harvesting, drying, and packing, which may lead to better management of this precious natural resource, conserving ecological balance while thriving on the economic momentum that seaweed can potentially provide in the future. Recommended breeding strategies and seedling stock selection are discussed that aim to address the importance of sustainable seaweed farming and facilitate informed decision-making. Sustainable seaweed cultivation also holds the key to reducing our carbon footprint, thereby fighting the existential crisis of climate change plaguing our generation.
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are contributors to infection cases among the Asian population. S. aureus is found in the mucous lining of noses and is mainly non-pathogenic while E. coli, mostly harmless bacteria, are found in the intestine. Pathogenic strains of both bacteria have adverse effects on the elderly and younger age group of the population. Samples were collected from recreational parks around Kota Kinabalu as they are hotspots frequently visited by families with both age groups. The bacterial samples were isolated and cultured on selective media such as Baird-Parker agar (BPA), Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) agar, MacConkey agar and Eosin-Methylene Blue (EMB) agar. Morphological characteristics of bacterial growth were observed, where S. aureus had black-shiny growth in BPAand E. coli had a metallic-green sheen in EMB agar. The suspected bacteria samples were then stained and viewed under a light microscope. S. aureus was identified as gram-positive, stained violet with a circular shape and clustered appearance. E. coli was identified as gram-negative, stained red, rod-shaped with 2 – 3 bacterial alignment. Antibiotic resistance test resulted in S. aureus and E. coli samples did not display 100% resistance among 4 antibiotics tested (ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol). Most of the bacteria samples were a minimum inhibitory of 0.1 mg/mL of antibiotic concentration. These results provide a foundation for further research on identifying bacterial strains using molecular methods. The findings can then be used to disseminate information to the public to create awareness of potential disease outbreaks in the city.
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