Growth of the commercial carrageenophyte Sarcothalia crispata (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) on suspended culture in central Chile

Laboratory and field studies on growth of Sarcothalia crispata, which is one of the most important carrageenophytes of Chile, were made in to assess its viability and growth in a system of suspended culture. In vitro experiments on the survival of the germlings and on the effect of temperature and irradiance on its growth allowed to determine the best temperature and irradiance for seeding polypropylene culture ropes in indoors conditions. The growth of plants developed on ropes at three depths in Coliumo Bay (central Chile) supports the idea that it is feasible biologically to manage the resource via aquaculture. Fouling and epiphytes were the main problem at the experimental site. The results suggest that maintaining the cultures in deeper water during summer could minimize this problem.