Isolation and cultivation of the vegetative cells ofPorphyra haitanensis

This research deals mainly with the use of the vegetative cells of a marine red algaPorphyra haitanensis (laver) as seeds and their culture into young thalli for further cultivation in the sea. The experimental process was as follows. Enzymatically isolated vegetative cells were attached to rope substrates and cultured in the laboratory for a month until they became about 0.2–0.5 cm long sporelings and were then attached (7–15 sporelings per cm of rope) to nets for removal to the open sea for cultivation. A month after culturing, the thalli reached a maximum length of 50 cm (average of 20–30 cm). The thalli grew faster as the water temperature dropped from 21°C to 17°C. It was proved that the vegetative cells isolated from a small thallus about 5 cm long could grow up into normal thalli after being kept frozen for a year. The results of this study show that vegetative cells can be used as new seeds to simplify the production of laver sporelings. This technique is a significant advance in the field ofPorphyra culture.