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

Different propagation techniques for cultivation of vegetative Gigartina skottsbergii fronds were tested using a system of suspended ropes, to which inoculants were attached. Our results showed that triangular fragments obtained from the circular G. skottsbergii thalli produced harvestable frond of 800 cm2 after 8 months. In contrast, inoculants of intact juvenile fronds of comparable size needed at least 10 months to reach the same size. A control experiment with spores developing on an artificial substrate showed that 20 months were needed to reach a surface of 500 cm2, confirming the superiority of our fragment culture system. A pilot study demonstrated that with a density of six fronds m−1 of farming line, the proposed system can be economically interesting for local fishermen.