A pilot-scale study of the vegetative propagation and suspended cultivation of the carrageenophyte alga Gigartina skottsbergii in southern Chile

Different propagation techniques for cultivationof vegetativeGigartina skottsbergiifronds were testedusing a system of suspended ropes, to which inoculantswere attached. Our results showed that triangular fragmentsobtained from the circularG. skottsbergiithalli producedharvestable frond of 800 cm2after 8 months. In contrast,inoculants of intact juvenile fronds of comparable sizeneeded at least 10 months to reach the same size. A controlexperiment with spores developing on an artificial substrateshowed that 20 months were needed to reach a surface of500 cm2, confirming the superiority of our fragment culturesystem. A pilot study demonstrated that with a density ofsix fronds m−1of farming line, the proposed system can beeconomically interesting for local fishermen.