Laminaria ochroleuca explained

Laminaria ochroleuca is a large kelp, an alga in the order Laminariales.[1] They are commonly known as golden kelp, due to their blade colouration, distinguishing them from Laminaria hyperborea[2]

Description

This large brown alga can grow to a length of 2 m. It has large leathery blades or fronds which grow from a stipe. The blade is without a midrib and divided into smooth linear sections. The stipe is stalk-like, stiff, smooth and attached to rocks by a claw-like holdfast.[1] It is similar to Laminaria hyperborea but it is more yellow in colour[3] and does not have the rough stipe of L. hyperborea.[1]

Despite initial belief that the species was declining, investigations in 2022 and 2023 displayed recent growth and abundance of new individuals.[4] It is suspected, however, that due to climate change, the range of Laminaria ochroleuca will shift north.[5] The ideal temperature for the sporophyte phase is 12-22 °C, while the gametophyte has a narrower range of 15-18 °C.[6]

Reproduction

The life-cycle is of the large diploid sporophyte alternating with the microscopic haploid stages producing female gametophytes which are fertilized by male gametophytes (sperm).[1]

Distribution

This species is found in the Northern Hemisphere, from Morocco to the south of England [7] In the UK, it was first documented in Plymouth Sound in 1946 [8] and its range expansion continues due to climate change.[9] It was found on the northeast coast of England beyond the Humber estuary before 1965.

Bioactive Compounds

Laminaria ochroleuca has been shown to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant qualities, as well as a valuable source of nutrition.[10] [11] Actinobacteria strains isolated from Laminaria ochroleuca also revealed anticancer capabilities.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Bunker, F.StP,D., Brodie, J.A., Maggs, C.A. and Bunker, A.R. 2017. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. Second Edition. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, UK.
  2. 10.1111/1365-2745.12810. The 'golden kelp' Laminaria ochroleuca under global change: Integrating multiple eco-physiological responses with species distribution models. Journal of Ecology. 106. 47–58. 2018. Franco. João N.. Tuya. Fernando. Bertocci. Iacopo. Rodríguez. Laura. Martínez. Brezo. Sousa-Pinto. Isabel. Arenas. Francisco. 1 . 2018JEcol.106...47F . free.
  3. Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Check-list and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. British Phycological Society, London.
  4. Giacobbe . Salvatore . Ratti . Simona . 2023-07-18 . Unexpected recovery of Laminaria ochroleuca in the Strait of Messina . Marine Biodiversity . en . 53 . 4 . 54 . 10.1007/s12526-023-01356-x . 2023MarBd..53...54G . 259952182 . 1867-1624.
  5. Pereira . Tânia R. . Engelen . Aschwin H. . Pearson . Gareth A. . Valero . Myriam . Serrão . Ester A. . March 2017 . Population dynamics of temperate kelp forests near their low-latitude limit . Aquatic Botany . en . 139 . 8–18 . 10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.02.006.
  6. Schoenrock . Kathryn M. . O’Callaghan . Tony . O’Callaghan . Rory . Krueger-Hadfield . Stacy A. . 2019-06-13 . First record of Laminaria ochroleuca Bachelot de la Pylaie in Ireland in Béal an Mhuirthead, county Mayo . Marine Biodiversity Records . 12 . 1 . 9 . 10.1186/s41200-019-0168-3 . 2019MBdR...12....9S . 1755-2672 . free .
  7. 10.1111/maec.12199. The rise of Laminaria ochroleuca in the Western English Channel (UK) and comparisons with its competitor and assemblage dominant Laminaria hyperborea. Marine Ecology. 36. 4. 1033–1044. 2015. Smale. Dan A.. Wernberg. Thomas. Yunnie. Anna L. E.. Vance. Thomas. 2015MarEc..36.1033S.
  8. 10.1038/162295c0. Laminaria ochroleuca de la Pylaie Growing on the Coast of Britain. Nature. 162. 4112. 295–296. 1948. Parke. Mary. 18934880. 1948Natur.162..295P. 4104406.
  9. Pereira . Tânia R. . Engelen . Aschwin H. . Pearson . Gareth A. . Valero . Myriam . Serrão . Ester A. . 2017 . Population dynamics of temperate kelp forests near their low-latitude limit . Aquatic Botany . en . 139 . 8–18 . 10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.02.006.
  10. Flórez-Fernández . Noelia . Torres . María Dolores . González-Muñoz . María Jesús . Domínguez . Herminia . March 2019 . Recovery of bioactive and gelling extracts from edible brown seaweed Laminaria ochroleuca by non-isothermal autohydrolysis . Food Chemistry . en . 277 . 353–361 . 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.10.096. 30502157 . 54535039 .
  11. Silva . Aurora . Rodrigues . Carla . Garcia-Oliveira . Paula . Lourenço-Lopes . Catarina . Silva . Sofia A. . Garcia-Perez . Pascual . Carvalho . Ana P. . Domingues . Valentina F. . Barroso . M. Fátima . Delerue-Matos . Cristina . Simal-Gandara . Jesus . Prieto . Miguel A. . 2021-08-18 . Screening of Bioactive Properties in Brown Algae from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula . Foods . en . 10 . 8 . 1915 . 10.3390/foods10081915 . 2304-8158 . 8394977 . 34441692 . free .
  12. Girão . Mariana . Ribeiro . Inês . Ribeiro . Tiago . Azevedo . Isabel C. . Pereira . Filipe . Urbatzka . Ralph . Leão . Pedro N. . Carvalho . Maria F. . 2019 . Actinobacteria Isolated From Laminaria ochroleuca: A Source of New Bioactive Compounds . Frontiers in Microbiology . 10 . 683 . 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00683 . 31024480 . 6465344 . 1664-302X . free .

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