Genetic Identification and Mass Propagation of Economically Important Seaweeds

Abstract

Seaweeds are a primary source of hydrocolloids, which can be processed into various food additives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The inability of current commercial seaweed farming projects to meet industrial demands is underscored by a plethora of challenges, which include the lack of high-quality germplasm with the desired cultural characteristics. This chapter describes the current trends in commercial seaweed production and the potential technological advances in production methods and genetic selection strategies, which can be applied to raise the productivity of seaweed farms. Molecular markers have become increasingly relevant to the selection of a diverse range of wild varieties for domestication, and this augurs well for strain identification. The development of high-density linkage maps based on molecular markers offers an avenue for the implementation of molecular breeding strategies based on quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Concurrently, productivity of existing varieties can be enhanced by the analysis of exogenous factors known to affect the growth and survival of tissue-cultured seedlings. The application of photobioreactors for tissue culture is another important development, which will be digressed upon. In addition to this, quality control which focuses on the comparison of chemical and physical qualities of the tissue-cultured and conventional cultivated seaweeds will become increasingly relevant to the development of industry standards for sustainable seaweed production to fulfill the increasing demands of seaweed-related industries.

Assessment of genetic and phenotypic diversity of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, to support breeding programs

“…For example, over reliance on genetically uniform breeds that, often have unstable performance and get discarded from the production lines after only a few years [71]. This genetic homogeneity also increases vulnerability to environmental stress and pests, because of intensification [72]. However, these varieties have fixed certain economically important traits, questioning the influence of phenotypic plasticity in Laminariales.…”

Seaweeds and microalgae: an overview for unlocking their potential in global aquaculture development

“…Genetic improvement technologies, such as strain selection (Hwang, Ha and Park, 2017), selective breeding (Hwang et al, 2019), hybridization (Su et al, 2020), micropropagation (also known as tissue culture) (Reddy et al, 2017) and genetic markers (Yong, Chin and Rodrigues, 2016), can help improve seedling quality and production efficiency. However, these tend to be technical and financially demanding and often require public support.…”

Selection and development of superior strains through functional trait-based approach in agarophytic red alga Gracilaria dura (Rhodophyta)

“…Improper management of seedling production, such as use of inbred stocks or repeated vegetative propagation, can lead to a decrease in quality and subsequently loss of agronomic value. For the improvement of seedling quality and production efficiency, genetic improvement technologies such as strain selection (Hwang and Park, 2017), tissue culture (Reddy et al, 2017), breeding (Hwang et al, 2019), hybridization (Zhao et al, 2016), as well as life history stage based genetic markers (Sambhwani et al, 2022;Yong et al, 2016) would be helpful. In mariculture, to promote seaweed production along with other methods, strain selection stands out as an appropriate mechanism (Santelices, 1992).…”