Implications of clonal and chimeric-type thallus organization on seaweed farming and harvesting

Abstract

Clonal seaweeds are capable of regrowing from thallus fragments, whileunitary seaweeds lack this capacity. This capability determines significantdifferences in the farming and harvesting models to be applied to the twotypes of algae. Farming of non-clonal species in general, requires more stepsand a greater diversity of technologies than clonal seaweeds. In addition,clonal seaweeds may exhibit intra-clonal variation, considered here as anadditional source of variation from those known for unitary seaweeds (e.g.intra-individual and inter-population variation). Intra-clonal variation maymodify the efficiency and predictability of strain selection practices basedpurely on intra-individual and inter-population variation. Coalescence andformation of chimeric thalli occurs in many species of economic red algae. Coalescence affects recruitment success, survival and growth rates in manyof these taxa. It is concluded that the farming and harvesting modelsderived from unitary organisms have to be modified when applied toseaweeds with clonal or chimeric-type thallus organization.