Goals: Understand how biology of tropical algae is impacted by environmental variables.
The red alga,Eucheuma isiforme, native to the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, is the only species native to the U.S. EEZ with a ready, high-value market, namely via its high carrageenan content, as well as propagation via vegetative cuttings that eliminates the need for expensive nursery facilities. The global carrageenan market produces 60,000 tonnes from Eucheumoids vegetatively in mainly China and Indonesia, valued at $750 million/year.
We will measure how the metabolite composition and growth rate of macroalgae vary under different cultivation conditions to determine the optimal conditions for production of bioproducts or characteristics of interest, particularly carrageenan content and quality. Additionally, we will measure baseline parameters needed for the nutrient and growth models, including growth and photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and mortality.
We will use transcriptomics to determine genetic markers (SNPs) in experimental strains and to identify differentially expressed genes correlated with characteristics of interest, particularly carrageenan content and quality. MARINER collaborators (UCSB) have developed autonomous and semi-autonomous technologies capable of monitoring biomass productivity and physiological status, as well as the environmental conditions that control its near-term production for temperate algae, but will be developing analogous systems for tropical algae.