Daniel Vairo1, Cecilia Biancacci1, Alecia Bellgrove1
1Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Warrnambool Campus, Princes Hwy, Victoria 3280, Australia
Southern Australia possesses the highest regional diversity of seaweeds globally, with very high endemism. Despite this, there has been limited investigation of Australian macroalgae, particularly fucoid species in comparison to kelps, for aquaculture and food consumption or other commercial products. Studying the biology and ecology of endemic less-known but promising seaweeds is fundamental to boosting the development of seaweed farming for sustainable supply of novel species in Australia.
Hijiki is the Japanese name for the brown seaweed Sargassum fusiforme. It has been harvested for food and medicine for thousands of years in Asia with significant health and therapeutic benefits. However, there have been concerns about high arsenic levels in hijiki, and this cannot be imported into Australia because of the current health regulations and standards. Among the highly diversified fucoid algae in south-eastern Australia, it is likely that several species, might be as equally delicious and nutritious as hijiki and might offer a safer alternative from a health perspective.
This study aims to investigate the temporal variation in distribution, abundance, growth, and reproduction of two Australian fucoids, Cystophora torulosa and Caulocystis uvifera in two sites on the west coast of Victoria.
The results will be discussed considering the contribution of this research to future investigation into 1) optimal spawning conditions for aquaculture production of these species, 2) nutritional profiling for commercial applications as food and as an alternative to hijiki, 3) conservation and management strategies of macroalgal biodiversity hotspots in temperate reef ecosystems, such as the Great Southern Reef initiative.