Molecular identification of Gracilaria species (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) obtained from the South Coast of Java Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Meinita MDN, Akromah N, Andriyani N, Setijanto, Harwanto D, Liu T. 2021. Molecular identification of Gracilaria species (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) obtained from the South Coast of Java Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3046-3056. The study of seaweeds diversity and species identification is an important component of marine resource management. However, seaweed identification based on morphological characteristics has several limitations. Besides, DNA barcodes or the partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I (COX1) have been proved to identify seaweeds at the species level. To date, Gracilaria species molecular diversity has not been studied in the South Coast of Java Island. Hence, this study aimed to identify the Gracilaria spp. obtained from 6 different beaches along the South Coast of Java, based on the COX1 gene. COX1 gene utilization for identifying and observing the genetic diversity, both intraspecific (genetic variation within species) and interspecific (variations between species) of Gracilaria species in this study has produced good results. A total of 13 seaweed samples collected from beaches in this study were identified as Gracilaria salicornia, G. edulis, G. firma, and G. textorii. The results of genetic diversity analysis conducted using the COX1 gene showed the intraspecific diversity of G. edulis obtained from the beaches of Kondang Merak, Kukup, Nusakambangan, and Karapyak was included in the moderate diversity category. Also, the intraspecific diversity of G. salicornia obtained from the beaches of Kondang Merak, Kukup, and Nusakambangan was included in the moderate diversity category, while the intraspecific diversity of G. textorii from Menganti and Karapyak Beach had no diversity.

Genetic Diversity of Gracilaria spp. in the Intertidal Zone on the South Coast of Yogyakarta, Indonesia Based on DNA Barcoding with rbcL Marker

“…G. edulis and G. salicornia were earlier discovered on the south coast of Yogyakarta, i.e., on Drini Beach and Kukup Beach, respectively (Romdoni et al 2018;Meinita et al 2021). Following previous research, the same species was discovered in the same location in the current investigation.…”

“…in Indonesia have been reported molecularly and morphologically, including G. edulis, G. salicornia, G. verrucosa, G. gigas, G. textorii, G. firma, G. gracilis, G. vermiculophyla, G. babae, G. isabellana, G. damaecornis, and G. yoneshigueana in Drini Beach in Yogyakarta, Kondang Merak in East Java, South Sulawesi, Kukup Beach in Yogyakarta, Nusakambangan Beach in Central Java, Karapyak Beach in West Java, Menganti Beach in Central Java, and Serangan Island in Bali, respectively (Romdoni et al 2018;Arbit et al 2019;Meinita et al 2021;Wirawan et al 2021). Gracilaria spp.…”

Diversity, Abundance, and Distribution of Macroalgae in Coastal Ecotourism Areas — A Case Study at Baluran National Park, Situbondo, Indonesia

“…Previous studies have shown that Indonesia produces the highest macroalgae in biomass culture in Southeast Asia, surpassing the Philippines (Hurtado et al, 2019;Rimmer et al, 2021). Another study also stated that 555 seaweed species are found in Indonesia, and 55 of them have high economic value, such as Gracilaria and Euchema (Meinita et al, 2021). As the primary producer in the coastal ecosystem, macroalgae are not a plant but an informal group of protists (Eliáš, 2021).…”

DNA Barcoding of Red Algae (Rhodophyta) in Ternate Island Sea, North Maluku, Indonesia

“…The use of molecular markers is important to clarify the study of the morphology and genetic quality of a species. The use of rbcL gene sequences has been recorded in various studies, showing that these marker genes are quite potential and useful for studying genetic variation in natural populations (Lim et al, 2013;Djakatara et al, 2018;Annisaqois et al, 2018;Ratnawati et al, 2020;Meinita et al, 2021;Wirawan et al, 2021;Hamdan et al, 2013). Previous studies were still limited so we started to do DNA info and barcodes red algae in the Ternate Island Sea.…”