GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARRAGEENAN YIELD OF KAPPAPHYCUS ALVAREZII (DOTY) AND EUCHEUMA DENTICULATUM (BURMAN)

This study aims to determine the growth performance and carrageenan contents of the different strains of Eucheuma and Kappaphycus cultured at different depths. Thirty 50-g seedlings of each of the brown and green cultivars of Eucheuma denticulatum (Collins & Hervey) and Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) were cultured at two different depths: near water surface (floating method) and 2 meters below or bottom (monoline method). Growth rates and carrageenan contents varied between species, strains and depth. The brown variety of K. alvarezii cultured near the water surface showed a significantly higher mean growth rate (2.85%) and carrageenan (81.74 %). Generally, plants with higher growth rates have higher carrageenan yield