Seaweed reproductive biology: environmental and genetic controls

Abstract

Knowledge of life cycle progression and reproduction of seaweeds transcends pure academic interest. Successful and sustainable seaweed exploitation and domestication will indeed require excellent control of the factors controlling growth and reproduction. The relative dominance of the ploidy-phases and their respective morphologies, however, display tremendous diversity. Consequently, the ecological and endogenous factors controlling life cycles are likely to be equally varied. A vast number of research papers addressing theoretical, ecological and physiological aspects of reproduction have been published over the years. Here, we review the current knowledge on reproductive strategies, trade-offs of reproductive effort in natural populations, and the environmental and endogenous factors controlling reproduction. Given that the majority of ecophysiological studies predate the "-omics" era, we examine the extent to which this knowledge of reproduction has been, or can be, applied to further our knowledge of life cycle control in seaweeds.

Phytohormones in red seaweeds: a technical review of methods for analysis and a consideration of genomic data

“…Therefore, the most plausible suggestion involves epiphytic microorganisms that are found on the surfaces of seaweeds. Based on the most extensive studies of interactions between bacteria and marine green seaweeds to date (Joint et al 2007, Wichard 2015, the association of seaweeds with epiphytic bacteria is commonly thought to be essential for their normal growth, morphogenesis, and reproduction (Egan et al 2013, Singh and Reddy 2014, Wichard 2015, Liu et al 2017). In addition to exchanges of nutrient chemicals and morphological regulators (Egan et al 2013, Singh and Reddy 2014, Wichard 2015, bacterium-derived IAA is involved in bud formation in the Florideophyte Gracilaria dura (Singh et al 2011a).…”

Exploring the Influence of Temperature on Aspects of the Reproductive Phenology of Temperate Seaweeds

“…While this line of research is picking up again (Oppliger et al, 2012;Bogaert et al, 2016;Martins et al, 2017) further effort should be made to develop more integrative approach with interaction experiments in ecophysiological research (Oppliger et al, 2012;Martins et al, 2017) in combination with modeling if possible. Such results should be put then in perspective with underlying molecular mechanisms (Liu et al, 2017). So far, phenological shifts in response to ocean warming have not been detected for seaweeds.…”

Cultivation of early life history stages of Porphyra dioica from the British Isles

“…One adaptation of marine macrophytes to ensure survival in these highly dynamic and extreme habitats is a complex life cycle, with alterations in preferred conditions depending on the life history stage (Lubchenco and Cubit 1980;Cunningham et al 1993). Changing environmental conditions can be important triggers in life history events such as initiating reproduction (Liu et al 2017) and especially temperature and photoperiod have been found to be important factors in the life history of bladed Bangiales (Pereira et al 2004;Lindstrom et al 2008;López-Vivas et al 2015).…”