Does salinity affect growth and carrageenan yield of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Gigartinales/Rhodophyta)?

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex. P. C. Silva is one of the most important sources of raw material for the carrageenan industry (Ask & Azanza 2002). In Brazil, only Hypnea musciformis(Wulfen) J.V. Lamouroux is used as raw material and its natural stocks are not su⁄cient to supply the Brazilian demand (Bulboa & Paula 2005; Reis, Yoneshigue-valentin & Santos 2008). This was one of the reasons why, in 1995, K. alvarezii was introduced at the Brazilian Southeastern coast, in Sao Paulo State (Bulboa & Paula 2005). The carrageenan yield (CY) can change in accordance to environmental parameters as a mechanism of prevention against stressful situations like salinity £uctuations (Hayashi, Oliveira, Bleicher-lhonneur, Boulenguer, Pereira,Von Seckendor¡, Shimoda, Le£amand,Valle¤e & Critchley 2007; Reis et al. 2008). Few works discuss the salinity e¡ects on daily growth rate (DGR) and CYof eucheumatoids in spite of its importance (Ask & Azanza 2002). This information could help the identi¢cation of good sites for cultivation and would help mitigation activities (Ask, Batibasaga, Zertuche-gonzaŁlez & De San 2003). Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse the e¡ect of the salinity on DGR and CY values of K. alvarezii in vitro