Growth, Survival and Colloidal Properties on the Cultivation Trial of Halymenia durvillei Bory De Saint-Vincent, 1828

Abstract

Halymenia durvillei is a marine red alga that is a carrageenophyte species and a potential alternative source of carrageenan. The cultivation trial of H. durvillei was conducted in Pandong Bato Marine Sanctuary Puente, Carmen, Cebu to compare its growth, survival, and colloidal properties using the modified fixed-off bottom method and cage culture method. Both methods showed increased growth rates ranging from 13.6-28.7% and 311-718%, respectively, after a forty-five days culture period. The cage culture method showed higher growth than the modified fixed-off bottom method. Results showed a significant difference in growth rate using t-test at a 5% level of significance (0.0033, p>0.05). The H. durvillei had adapted to the culture site, and the two methods had a 100% survival rate. The colloidal properties of H. durvillei extract have a moisture content, carrageenan, gel strength, and viscosity of 87.72±0.85%, 22.52±4.13%, 55.67±1.63g cm-2, 53.67±3.01cP, respectively. The water parameters recorded in the culture site during low tide and high tide were salinity, temperature, pH, current, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates which ranged from 30-35ppt, 25-30ºC, 6-23-9.39cm/s, 2.65-4.98ppm, 0.21-0.25mg/l, and 0.01-0.02mg/l, respectively. Results suggest that this red seaweed could potentially be used as raw material for carrageenan production aside from Kappaphycus alvarezii