Researchers on the College of Gothenburg surveyed 10,000 kilometres of coast and located twenty species of sea lettuce.
Inexperienced macroalgae of the genus Ulva, also referred to as sea lettuce, are nearly ubiquitous within the wider Baltic Sea area and may be discovered from the Atlantic waters all the best way as much as the Bay of Bothnia within the Baltic Sea. Sea lettuce reproduce simply and develop shortly, which makes it of enchantment for an increasing aquaculture business and blue financial system.
Analysis is ongoing each in Sweden and overseas for utilising sea lettuce within the meals business and for various biochemical functions.
There are a number of species, however till now it has not been identified what number of there are and beforehand solely a handful had been recognized, mentioned Sophie Steinhagen, a researcher at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory.
Invasive species recognized
“We’ve got studied the organic variety of the Baltic Sea, Kattegatt and Skagerak by taking a lot of samples from sea lettuce that we have now then carried out DNA evaluation of. We discovered 20 distinctive species and subspecies. Three of those are invasive species which have discovered their approach right here in numerous methods.”
The researchers additionally discovered fully new species of sea lettuce in Swedish waters that haven’t beforehand been described scientifically. A few of these seem to solely develop within the Baltic Sea.
The power to trace invasive species will assist propel the event of the seaweed aquaculture business, she advised FoodNavigator.
“The significance of this survey is important,” she mentioned. “Rising sea lettuce as a meals supply is a quickly growing business, and overseas species danger being unfold via easy ignorance. To keep up and defend invaluable ecosystems alongside the coasts, it is very important know which species develop there and to not introduce new species that danger out competing the native species.”
Develop the appropriate species in the appropriate place
“Our examine exhibits that as we speak’s methodology of figuring out species, which is usually completed by trying on the look of inexperienced algae, is inadequate for figuring out the distribution of the varied species. We’ve got not been in a position to see the actual extent of the organic variety.”
The stock found many new species, data that may be invaluable when cultivation of sea lettuces is initiated in new locations alongside the coast. You will need to develop the appropriate species on the proper place to keep away from the chance of impacting variety, defined Steinhagen.
“This new information permits us to develop strategies for sustaining the distinctive sea lettuce species alongside a particular coast. Our survey may assist when writing rules associated to invasive species that shouldn’t be utilized in aquaculture whether it is to be sustainable.”
She added that the examine’s observations additionally present a foundation for pressure choice. That’s essential for improvement of the sector, she defined, as it can enable growers to decide on strains which can be faster to develop. It will enable growers to focus on a number of makes use of and finish product functions ion the meals and beverage business.
“All seaweed is understood for its umami flavour profile and its excessive mineral and vitamin content material, however we might select strains with a better protein or amino acid profile.”
“By realizing the distribution of the invasive and native sea lettuce species we are able to exclude invasive species from cultivation efforts to guard our invaluable marine ecosystems. With realizing vary margins and distribution patterns of native species we are able to choose for strains that finest deal with respective environments and lay a foundation for breeding efforts. To pick out and breed finest performing variants tailored to the respective ecosystem is an important a part of the long run seaweed business within the EU.”
Hatchery capability options wanted
A sound hatchery of viable seedlings, in the meantime, is usually a bottleneck to massive scale farming. That’s as a result of earlier than it’s hooked up and grown on ropes at sea, the wild seaweed is distributed to a hatchery the place it’s stimulated in water tanks.
“We’re additionally trying into management the life cycle of the totally different sea lettuce species for sound nursery methods to assist the industries independency of pure shares,” added Steinhagen.
Reference
‘Molecular identification of the ever present inexperienced algae Ulva reveals excessive biodiversity, crypticity, and invasive species within the Atlantic-Baltic Sea area’
Algal Analysis
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2023.103132
