Ida T. Capacio1, Ma. Salvacion R. Ferrer2, Madelyn L. Aguilar2, Minerva T. Moises2, Ma. Christi B. Nacido2, Joseph Christopher Rayos2,
1Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Seaweed Technology Development Center (BFAR – NSTDC), Cabid-an, Sorsogon, Philippines, 2National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), 101 Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City, Philippines
Correspondence: Ida T. Capacio, icapacio@bfar.da.gov.ph; ctikaen@gmail.com
The techniques pioneered by Largo et al., 2020 on the land and sea-based cultivation of Sargassum aquifolium were verified using Sargassum kushimotense collected in Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines. Fertile eggs of this species were collected/recruited through vigorous shaking and spontaneous discharge procedures. The 24-hour microscopy observation of eggs showed that cell divides from 3 to 9 hours. Some zygotes started to develop rhizoids on the 12th hour then became visible in 18-24 hours. At day 7, a total of 117 germlings (<.5mm-5mm) from the eggs collected through vigorous shaking have settled on the artificial clay panel substrates while only 53 germlings (<.5mm-5mm) from the eggs recruited through spontaneous discharge were observed to have attached to the artificial substrates. The number of germlings on the substrates has increased until day 63. And at day 90, the survival rate of germlings in the land-based hatchery was at 99-225% with a daily growth rate that ranged from 2.9 to 4.7%.
Young plantlets (20 mm) were cultivated in the field using the floating longline method. Bladelets were observed to develop rapidly. After 3 months of field cultivation, the survival rate of the plantlets is 100% and the daily growth rate ranged from -0.43 to 1.37%
Sargassum cultivation techniques introduced by Largo et al., have been proven to be viable in the study area. However, further studies are necessary to develop more strategies that will further improve the quantity and quality of produced plantlets.