Epiphyte Identification on Kappaphycus alvarezii Seaweed Farming Area in Arungkeke Waters, Jeneponto and The Effect on Carrageenan Quality

Abstract

Kappaphycus alvarezii which is widely cultivated at sea is susceptible to other algae that drift away and attach as epiphyte. This study aims to identify epiphyte on seaweed farming K. alvarezii and its effect on carrageenan quality. The study was conducted on K. alvarezii seaweed farming area in Jeneponto, South Sulawesi. Sample of epiphyte was obtained from four stations. Epiphyte was identified in laboratory based on its morphological characteristics and calculated its density. Carrageenan yield and gel strength of healthy seaweed and those infected one were analyzed in laboratory in triplicates for each sample. Data were statistically analyzed using independent samples t-test analysis. Present study showed that there were 6 epiphytes species on the seaweed farming area, namely: Entheromorpha intestinalis, Ceramium sp., Neosiphonia apiculata, Chaetomorpha crassa, Hypnea sp., and Gracilaria sp. The average of epiphytic density in cultivation area was (24.26±9.64)%. Healthy seaweed and infected one had significantly different carrageenan yield and gel strength (P<0.05). Healthy seaweed had higher carrageenan yield (48.17±1.62)% and gel strength (1130.76±8.42) g cm-² than infected seaweed which had carrageenan yield (42.47±0.23)% and gel strength (958.22±10.85) g cm-².

Recent advances in seaweed seedling production: a review of eucheumatoids and other valuable seaweeds

“…Changing the seasonal rhythms of seaweed cultivation could also aid in epiphyte control (Titlyanov and Titlyanova 2010). Mulyaningrum et al (2019) proposed a method for controlling light intensity, which promotes the growth of cultivated seaweeds while reducing the presence of epiphytic algae. Another simple but effective method of controlling epiphytes is to apply mechanical movement to the culture lines, preventing epiphyte propagules or spores from attaching at the cultivated seaweed and cultivation facilities (Mulyaningrum et al 2019).…”

“…Studies have found that epiphytic filamentous algae minimize the biomass production and carrageenan quality of cultivated Kappaphycus and Eucheuma seaweeds (Hurtado et al 2006). Epiphytes disrupt photosynthesis process and affect carrageenan formation, as evidenced by the difference in carrageenan yield, with healthy seaweeds having a much higher yield than epiphyte-infected seaweeds (Mulyaningrum et al 2019). Neosiphonia savatieri accounts for approxi-This protection system allows for seaweed cultivation with modifications based on farming area topography, as has been done in several cultivation areas throughout the Philippines (Ganesan et al 2006).…”

Carrageenan From Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta, Solieriaceae): Metabolism, Structure, Production, and Application

“…Several other epiphytes isolated from the K. alvarezii seaweed included Entheromorpha intestinalis , Ceramium sp., Neosiphonia apiculata , Chaetomorpha crassa , Hypnea sp., and Gracilaria sp. ( Mulyaningrum et al, 2019 ). It has been demonstrated that epiphytes cover the surface of seaweed thalli, considerably reducing nutrient absorption ( Wakibia et al, 2006 ; Vairappan et al, 2007 ).…”

“…According to Aeni et al (2019) , the combined effects of “ice–ice” disease and epiphyte development decreased the growth rate during K. alvarezii cultivation in southeast Sulawesi. Mulyaningrum et al (2019) compared healthy seaweed to infected seaweed and discovered that healthy seaweed had a higher carrageenan yield and gel strength than infected seaweed. In many cases, the epiphyte was more prevalent and occurred more frequently in conjunction with “ice–ice” disease ( Vairappan et al, 2007 , 2010 ; Eranza et al, 2017 ).…”

Biosecurity policy and legislation of the seaweed aquaculture industry in Tanzania

“…More recent examples of imported cultivars include the imported Kappaphycus varieties known locally as "Kikorosho" (variety of K. alvarezii) and "Kikarafuu" (K. striatus), and E. denticulatum (known in the Philippines, and thus in Tanzania, as "million million"). These new cultivars used to replace the unproductive varieties of K. alvarezii (cottonii) and E. denticulatum (spinosum) have already started to fail due to a complexity of issues including using the same propagules over a long time and climate change-related stress, resulting in a disease-susceptible crop (Hurtado et al 2006;Vairappan et al 2008;Hayashi et al 2010;Msuya 2011b;Msuya and Porter 2014;Mulyaningrum et al 2019;Ward et al 2019). Despite the risk of introducing pathogens through such pathways being discussed globally in recent literature (Cottier-Cook et al 2016;Badis et al 2019;Campbell et al 2019a, b), it remains unclear if quarantine procedures are followed during the importation of seed stock.…”