Abstract
This paper describes the occurrence of an epiphyte infestation of Kappaphycus farms in Calaguas Is. Camarines Norte, Philippines. In particular, percentage cover of ‘goose bump’-Polysiphonia and ‘ice-ice’ disease, and some environmental parameters that influence the thallus condition of Kappaphycus alvarezii in Calaguas Is. were assessed during 3 separate visits and are discussed.
Commercial cultivation of Kappaphycus at Calaguas Is. began in the early 1990s. After five years of farming, the stock was destroyed by a strong typhoon. The area was re-planted the following year and production increased annually and reached its peak in 1998-1999. However, the following year, the first occurrence of a Polysiphonia epiphyte infestation occurred concurrently with an ‘ice-ice’ disease. Consequently, annual production and the number of seaweed planters declined rapidly, and this situation persists to the present time. This paper highlights the etiological factors and their consequences.
Results show that farm-site selection is critical for the success of Kappaphycus production. Characteristics of water movement and light intensity in farming areas contributed to the occurrence and detrimental effect of the phenomenon described as ‘goose bumps’: a morphological distortion of the host seaweed due to the presence of a Polysiphonia sp. epiphyte. A strong inverse correlation was observed between the occurrence of Polysiphonia and water movement: areas with low water motion registered a higher % cover (65%) of Polysiphonia than those in more exposed areas (17%). Although ‘goose bump’-Polysiphonia infestation and ‘ice-ice’ disease pose a tremendous problem to the seaweed farmers, the results of this limited assessment provide a useful baseline for future work.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ask EI (1999) Cottonii and Spinosum Cultivation Handbook. FMC Food Ingredients Division., Philadelphia, (52).
Ask EI, Azanza R (2002) Advances in cultivation technology of commercial eucheumatoid species: A review with suggestions for future reserach. Aquaculture 206: 257–277.
Borja P (2003) Seaweed industry status in Bicol Region-Cluster VI. In Hurtado A.Q, Luhan Ma R.J (eds), Proceedings of the National Seaweed Symposium. Seaweed Industry Asssociation of the Philippines, 17–18.
Brawley SH, Fei XG (1987) Studies of mesoherbivory in aquaria and in an unbarricaded mariculture farm on the Chinese coast. J. Phycol. 23: 614–623.
Buschmann AH, Schultz JA, Vergara PA (1994) Epiphytism and herbivory in an inter-tidal Gracilaria (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) farm in southern Chile. In Koop K. (ed), Ecology of Marine Aquaculture, International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, 48–58.
Critchley AT, Largo D, Wee W, Bleicher Lhonneur G, Hurtado AQ, Schubert J (2004) A preliminary summary on Kappaphycus farming and the impacts of epiphytes (extended abstract). Jpn. J. Phycol. 52: 231–232.
Fletcher RL (1995) Epiphytism and fouling in Gracilaria cultivation; an overview. J. Appl. Phycol. 7: 325–333.
Hurtado AQ, Agbayani RF, Sanares R, Castro-Mallare MTR de (2001) The seasonality and economic feasibility of cultivating Kappaphycus alvarezii in Panagatan Cays, Caluya Antique, Philippines. Aquaculture 199: 295–310.
Largo DB (2002) Recent developments in seaweed diseases. In Hurtado A.Q., Guanzon Jr. NG, de Castro-Mallare TR, Luhan Ma RJ (eds), Proceedings of the National Seaweed Planning Workshop, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre Aquaculture Department, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Phillippines, 35–42.
Largo DB, Fukami K, Nishijima T, Ohno M (1995a) Laboratoryinduced development of ‘ice-ice’ disease of the farmed red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). J. Appl. Phycol. 7: 539–543.
Largo DB, Fukami K, Nishijima T (1995b) Occasional pathogenic bacteria promoting ‘ice-ice’ disease in the carrageenan-producing red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). J. Appl. Phycol. 7: 545–554.
Livelihood Enhancement and Peace Program (LEAP), 2003. Assessment of impact of LEAP program-established seaweed production activities in coralline and similar marine ecosystems. Report on SAF 3030, 45 pp.
Mendoza WG, Montaňno NE, Ganzon-Fortes ET, Villanueva RD (2002) Chemical and gelling profile of ice-ice infected carrageenan from Kappaphycus striatum (Schmitz) Doty ‘sacol’ strain (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). J. Appl. Phycol. 14: 409–418.
Trono GC Jr, (1974) Eucheuma farming in the Philippines. U.P. Natural Science Research Centre, Quezon City.
Uyenco FR (1977) Microbiological studies of diseased Eucheuma sp. and other seaweeds. National Seaweeds Symposium, Metro Manila, Phillippines.
Uyenco FR, Saniel LS, Jacinto GS (1981) The ‘ice-ice’ problem in seaweed farming. Proc. Int. Seaweed Symp. 10: 625–630.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer
About this paper
Cite this paper
Hurtado, A.Q., Critchley, A.T., Trespoey, A., Lhonneur, G.B. (2006). Occurrence of Polysiphonia epiphytes in Kappaphycus farms at Calaguas Is., Camarines Norte, Phillippines. In: Anderson, R., Brodie, J., Onsøyen, E., Critchley, A.T. (eds) Eighteenth International Seaweed Symposium. Developments in Applied Phycology, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5670-3_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5670-3_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5669-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5670-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)