The seaweed resources of Peru

Abstract

The coast of Peru (3.5–18°S) is one of the most productive marine areas in the world. The updated seaweed checklist reports a total of 260 specific/intraspecific taxa, of which the Rhodophyta show the highest number (185 species), followed by Chlorophyta (41 species) and Phaeophyceae (34 species). Since 2012, an increase in molecular studies has been reported mostly in Rhodophyta, while Chlorophyta and Phaeophyceae have lagged far behind. Utilization of seaweed resources has been based on artisanal collection from natural beds. These are mainly consumed fresh or salt-dried (Chondracanthus chamissoi and Porphyra/Pyropia species), or exported for polysaccharide extraction (Lessonia nigrescens, Lessonia trabeculata, Macrocystis pyrifera). Although some regulations for brown seaweed extraction exist, overexploitation is a constant threat that must be addressed. Biomass from seaweed farms accounts, at most, for only 4% of the total annual landings, and there is a decreasing trend on seaweed aquaculture production since 2012. However, some cultivation projects for C. chamissoi and Porphyra/Pyropia species are currently being undertaken. In addition, recent studies have started to explore new uses of commercial and non-commercial seaweeds. Uncovering the Peruvian seaweed diversity and establishing well sustained culture and management projects are essential for utilizing and preserving the seaweed resources of Peru.

Una revisión actualizada de las macroalgas marinas del Ecuador continental

“…), es evidente que esta es excedida notoriamente por la diversidad de la provincia de Galápagos (321 spp. ;Avila & Padilla, 2020;fig. 14).…”

“…; Avila-Peltroche y J. Padilla-Vallejos, 2020). La mayor diversidad de las Galápagos está explicada por el elevado nivel de endemismo producto de procesos evolutivos que se intensifican en islas, sin embargo, también hay que considerar que las investigaciones taxonómicas de la flora marina no se han producido con la misma intensidad en la costa de Ecuador y que su conocimiento aún está en una fase más temprana de construcción en esta región (fig.…”

Aquaculture Production of the Brown Seaweeds Laminaria digitata and Macrocystis pyrifera: Applications in Food and Pharmaceuticals

“…More recent work has found that a 10-ha cultivation system with M. pyrifera priced at EUR 72/wet tonne would be profitable [ 33 ] Macrocystis pyrifera was only cultured in Peru, with Chile the predominant country for wild harvest collection followed by the US. Peru has one of the most productive marine coastlines in the world, with over 34 recognised brown seaweeds found there; 4% of annual seaweed biomass landings in Peru are produced through seaweed farms, yet this has been declining since 2012 [ 34 ]. The US has used M. pyrifera harvested off the Californian coast as a source of alginate since at least 1913; the harvests have varied from 325,157 wet tonnes in 1918, to 214 tonnes in 1931, to 90,718 in 1984 [ 35 ].…”

The Introduction of the Asian Red Algae Melanothamnus japonicus (Harvey) Díaz-Tapia & Maggs in Peru as a Means to Adopt Management Strategies to Reduce Invasive Non-Indigenous Species

“…Molecular evidence for the introduction of M. japonicus has been shown in Italy [18], the USA, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand [11,22], without reports for South American countries. Even though M. japonicus has not been reported on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America, ten Melanothamnus species have been identified in these regions, with Peru [23][24][25][26]. It is noteworthy to mention that the identification of many of these species, along with the newly identified Rhodophyta species for South America [27][28][29][30][31], was performed thanks to the use of molecular tools, highlighting the importance of molecular analysis for revealing the hidden biodiversity in those regions where the phycological studies have recently begun to increase [25].…”