Abstract
Keywords: Gracilaria salicornia , agar, yield, productivity, biomass, Tanzania Seasonal biomass variation and agar yield of G. salicornia (C. Ag.) Dawson from Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam, and Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, were determined, and some properties of the agar examined. Mean biomass and canopy cover values ranged from 21–60 g/m2 and 7– 20 %, respectively. The highest mean biomass and cover values were obtained during the SE monsoon. Agar yield varied from 13.7 to 30.2 % (dry weight) and was highest during the dry NE monsoon period. Alkali treatment generally reduced agar yield by 25–56 %. Gel strength of the agar gels ranged between 118 and 251 g/cm2 and was significantly higher during the NE monsoon period (t = 2.2; P = 0.04 and t = 8.9; P
Highlights
Gracilaria is one of the algal genera from which agar is extracted commercially (Lewis et al, 1990). and the main source of agar in the world (Oliveira et al, 2000)
We present here the standing stock seasonality of G. salicornia, which is the most abundant Gracilaria species in Tanzania, and report on investigations on the effects of alkali treatment on the yield and quality of its agar
Agar yield varied from 16.35 % in July to 30.2% in December in the Dar es Salaam samples and 13.7 to 28.0% in the Chwaka Bay samples
Summary
Gracilaria is one of the algal genera from which agar is extracted commercially (Lewis et al, 1990). and the main source of agar in the world (Oliveira et al, 2000). Gracilaria is one of the algal genera from which agar is extracted commercially (Lewis et al, 1990). The main source of agar in the world (Oliveira et al, 2000). The commercial mariculture of agar-producing seaweeds is led by the production of Gracilaria chilensis Bird, McLachlan et Oliveira in Chile (Buschmann & Correa, 2001). The seaweed has been cultivated in China, Taiwan, Namibia, Venezuela, Mexico (Armisen, 1995), Indonesia and Vietnam (Oliveira et al, 2000). Agardh (previously known as G. crassa Harvey, Buriyo et al, in press), G. corticata J.
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