Alexander Rantetondok , Gunarto Latama

Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2017, Vol. 7, No. 21   doi: 10.5376/ija.2017.07.0021
Received: 08 Sep., 2017    Accepted: 31 Oct., 2017    Published: 30 Nov., 2017

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Rantetondok A., and Latama G., 2017, Epiphytic and ice-ice diseases of seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii and its effect on growth rate and carrageenan quality, International Journal of Aquaculture, 7(21): 134-138 (doi: 10.5376/ija.2017.07.0021)

Seaweed is an important export commodity, making a substantial contribution to the income of coastal fish farmers in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. In particular, kappa carrageenan from Kappaphycus alvarezii is a widely used raw material in the pharmaceutical, food, and other industries and Indonesia is currently ranked as the top carrageenan-producing sea weed exporting country. Crop failure in seaweed cultivation is mostly caused by disease. In Kappaphycus alvarezii crops, ice-ice and epiphytic diseases have been identified, and more information is required to develop ways to control these diseases. This study aimed to investigate these diseases and their effect on growth and carrageenan quality in this species. The research was conducted in Malosoro Bay, Jeneponto District, South Sulawesi. Observations on the effect of disease on seaweeds grown using a long line culture method were conducted “insitu”. Observation on carrageenan quality was conducted in the laboratory using a Completely Randomized Design. Growth and carrageenan content data were analyzed using a one way ANOVA. The results showed that presence of these diseases had a significant effect (P<0.05) on K. alvarezii growth, thallus strength and integrity, and carrageenan content.

Carrageenan; Ice-ice; Disease; Epiphytic; Kappaphycus alvarezii; Seaweed