Abstract
Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) is an economically important species, and natural populations provide diverse and productive habitats as well as important ecosystem services. For seaweed aquaculture to be successful in newly emerging industry in Europe and other Western countries, it will have to develop sustainable production management strategies. A key feature in this process is the capacity to conserve genetic diversity for breeding programs aimed at developing seed stock for onward cultivation, as well as in the management of wild populations, as potentially interesting genetic resources are predicted to disappear due to climate change. In this study, the cryopreservation of male and female gametophytes (haploid life stage) of S. latissima by different combinations of two-step cooling methods and cryoprotectants was explored. We report here that cryopreservation constitutes an attractive option for the long-term preservation of S. latissima gametophytes, with viable cells in all treatment combinations. The highest viabilities for both male and female gametophytes were found using controlled-rate cooling methods combined with dimethyl sulfoxide 10% (v/v). Morphological normal sporophytes were observed to develop from cryopreserved vegetative gametophytic cells, independent of treatment. This indicates that cryopreservation is a useful preservation method for male and female S. latissima gametophytes.
Highlights
In cold-temperate regions, kelp forests represent important biological elements of coastal ecosystem, providing diverse and productive habitats as well as important ecosystem services.[1]
This study explores the use of different cryopreservation techniques on male and female S. latissima gametophytes originating from the Swedish west coast
The controlled-rate freezing methods showed higher viability compared with the passive rate freezing methods (Mr Frosty and CoolCell), this difference was mainly observed for male gametophytes
Summary
In cold-temperate regions, kelp forests represent important biological elements of coastal ecosystem, providing diverse and productive habitats as well as important ecosystem services.[1] seaweeds (macroalgae) are economically important, with a global production of 30 Mton and a net worth of US$5.6 billion, of which kelps represent *34% of the total biomass.[2] Seaweed aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of global aquaculture,[2] but a relatively new industry in Europe and other Western countries. For seaweed aquaculture to be a successful emerging industry in these regions, it will have to develop sustainable production management strategies. Methodologies to achieve these goals should employ a cost-effective approach that guarantees stable and long-term storage of the algae
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