Open-water aquaculture of the red alga Chondrus crispus in Prince Edward Island, Canada

摘要: The red alga Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) has been commercially harvested in Eastern Canada for almost 60 years. Its land-based tank aquaculture was initiated the 1970s. In 1990s, it became clear that production costs of these capital intensive systems were still too high carrageenan market but not edible seaweeds. Open-water cold-temperate species carrageenophytes, and particular C. crispus, rarely attempted. This study re-examined potential unique unattached mostly vegetative population at Basin Head, eastern Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), 5 transplant sites western P.E.I. Head plants successfully transplanted to other sites, providing similar or different environmental conditions, yielding comparable, even higher, productivity. During peak growth periods (May end June autumn), daily rates (DGRs) between 3 4% d−l recorded Freeland, with some exceeding 6% d−1. Over whole period October), DGRs 2 d−1 lower than those reported Eucheuma Kappaphycus alvarezii; they were, however, compensated by extremely yields (between 58.1 71.0% DW) during summer months when nutrients (phosphorus nitrogen) levels seawater algal tissue low. could be increased developing culture structures retaining fragmenting, otherwise healthy, large distal clumps, lost present simple tying on screens. Preliminary results demonstrated transplantation grow-out techniques are biologically successful, significant open-water estuaries basins Atlantic Canada.