Concise review of the genus Alaria Greville, 1830
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Concise review of the genus Alaria Greville, 1830 Stefan Kraan 1 Received: 18 December 2019 / Revised and accepted: 3 August 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract The brown seaweeds of the genus Alaria are economically important species in respect of food, health supplements and cosmetics. They are used as a sea vegetable in many Asian countries and are becoming increasingly popular in western cuisine. This has led to the development of cultivation of this genus in Europe. As the species in the genus are adapted to temperate-tocold waters in the northern hemisphere, its distribution is restricted to specific zones, e.g. Alaria esculenta, to the 16 °C isotherm explaining its absence in the southern North Sea and beyond the English Channel to the south. It has been observed that the genus Alaria has a high level of morphological plasticity and over 40 different species have been ascribed to the genus in the last century. Most species have been described from the North Pacific in cold temperate waters of the northern hemisphere and only a few from the North Atlantic. Recent advances in taxonomy and phylogeny have reduced several species to the Alaria marginata complex and the polymorphic Alaria esculenta species complex and moved one species to a new genus reducing the number to eight species and one sister species. Alaria mostly occupies wave-exposed subtidal rocky shores and is of interest for its food value and cultivation potential. Aquaculture of Alaria is highly attractive due to easy practices, fast growth and economic benefits (job creation, processing etc) and environmental benefits (bioremidiation, IMTA, carbon sink). Alaria is traditionally consumed in Japan, Russia, Europe and North America; and its popularity is on the increase due to changing nutritional habits in the global population. Many interesting bioactive molecules, minerals and vitamins and a mild flavour profile make Alaria of interest for the food, functional food and health and well-being sectors. Keywords Alaria . Phaeophyceae . Ecology . Distribution . Gametophytes . Hybridisation . Physiology . Nutritional profile . Phylogeny . Taxonomy . Aquaculture
Identity of the genus Alaria Greville (Alariaceae, Phaeophyceae) is a common genus of kelps generally found in the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal of rocky shores subject to strong wave exposure. The last taxonomic review recognized 14 species of which 11 are found in the cold-temperate North Pacific Ocean (Table 1; Widdowson 1971a). Alaria esculenta (L.) Greville, the type species described from the North Atlantic, exhibits a range of biogeographically correlated morphotypes indicating the possibility of multiple species, subspecies and/or hybrids (Fig. 1). This has led to confusion and an unstable taxonomy. Recent work on genetics and species concept in North Pacific Alaria
* Stefan Kraan [email protected] 1
The Seaweed Company Blue Turtle Ltd, Mausrevagh, Kilcoona, Headford, Co., Galway H91 E09X, Ireland
(Lane et al. 2007, Klimova et al. 2018b) have further e
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