Abstract
The extensive coastline and numerous islands of Malaysia provide various habitats suitable for the growth of a diversity of the marine macroalgae (seaweeds). Since the last checklist of the Malaysian seaweeds was published in 2006, there has been an increase of 17 families, 32 genera, and 75 species. Seven new species were described. The present tally stands at 459 taxa in 72 families; with 35 species in 12 families of Cyanophyta; 113 species in 16 families of Chlorophyta; 95 species in 8 families of Ochrophyta; and 216 species in 36 families of Rhodophyta. Only three species, Kappaphycus alvarezii, Eucheuma denticulatum and Gracilaria manilaensis, are being cultivated commercially. A small seaweed industry centered in Sabah, produces semi-refined carrageenan, which is mainly exported. Some of the biomass is brought over to Peninsular Malaysia, where seaweed products like desserts, health drinks, soaps and air-fresheners, are manufactured and sold. In 2016, Malaysia produced 205,989 tonnes wet weight seaweeds valued at US$24.83 million. The seaweed industry, can be enhanced by increasing the number of farms and farmers, strengthening local seaweed cooperatives and including them in decision-making, as well as by technological advances in the form of new and improved strains, more efficient seed supply and products.
About the authors
Siew-Moi Phang obtained her PhD in applied phycology from the University of Malaya, Malaysia. She pioneered algal biotechnology research in Malaysia, and established the Algae Research Laboratory in the University of Malaya. She served as the Director of the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya from 2007 until 2018. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Marine Biological Association, UK. She also serves as Assistant Editor, Journal of Applied Phycology.
Hui-Yin Yeong obtained her BSc (biomedical technology) from the University of Malaya, Malaysia in 2002 and her PhD (algal biotechnology) from the same university in 2011. Since 2009, she has worked as a research officer at the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), the University of Malaya where she developed tissue and protoplast cultures of macroalgae. Her current interests include isolation and profiling of tropical thraustochytrids for application in nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and biofuel.
Phaik-Eem Lim is a professor and head of Marine Biotechnology Unit, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, Malaysia. Her main research interests include the phylogenetics and biodiversity studies of algae; understanding the responses and adaptations of algae towards abiotic stress and biotechnology applications of algae. To date, together with her co-workers, she has established a new family, Neoralfsiaceae for crustose brown seaweeds, described six new species of red seaweeds and one new species of brown seaweed. She has published more than 100 refereed journal articles and more than 10 book chapters.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Dr. Adibi M. Nor, Fisheries Department of Malaysia for information on the seaweed industry in Malaysia. We would also like to acknowledge the following research grants that contributed to this publication: UM Grand Challenge Programme (GC002B-15SBS, Development of offshore and onshore systems for cultivation of selected seaweeds), UM Algae (GA003-2012) and HICoE MOHE: IOES-2014F.
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Article note
This article is part of the special issue series of Botanica Marina: Seaweed resources of the world: a 2020 vision, starting publication in Botanica Marina 2019, vol. 62, issue 3. The series will be guest-edited by Alan T. Critchley, Anicia Hurtado, Leonel Pereira, Melania Cornish, Danilo Largo and Nicholas Paul.
©2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
