Caulerpa consumption, nutritional value and farming in the Indo-Pacific region

In the Indo-Pacific region, several species of the green seaweed genus Caulerpa Lamouroux (1809) are very popular as human food because of their delicious taste and crunchy texture, which are pleasing to the palate, and because of their health benefits: Caulerpa contains proteins, fiber, minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and bioactive anti-oxidants. The consumption of these seaweeds is well established in local traditions and, for this reason, several seaweed farms have been established, or are under assessment, with a view to providing additional sources of income for local communities and to secure their livelihoods. Currently Caulerpa species are mostly collected from the wild and sold on the markets. However, farms can use a range of culture techniques such as bottom planting, off-bottom culture, floating long lines, or land-based raceways. This paper presents an overview of the traditional consumption and nutritional values of Caulerpa in the Indo-Pacific region and the different farming methods used for Caulerpa culture

Marine flora of the Iles Eparses (Scattered Islands) : a longitudinal transect through the Mozambique Channel

The diversity of marine macrophytes of small islands in the South Western Indian Ocean region has been poorly documented and little or no information is available for the Iles Eparses (or Scattered Islands) in the Mozambique Channel. We present the first species checklist for the three largest islands of the Iles Eparses: Europa, Juan de Nova and Glorioso. Overall, with a total of 321 marine macrophyte species recorded (incl. 56% Rhodophyta, 27% Chlorophyta, 15% Phaeophyceae and 2% Magnoliophyta; Europa: 134 spp., Juan de Nova: 157 spp. and Glorioso: 170 spp.) these islands harbour 23.5% of the total species recorded for the Mozambique Channel region. We report 36 new records for the Mozambique Channel including 29 undescribed new and cryptic species. Our results highlight a decrease in species richness southward in the Channel. Because of their longitudinal arrangement between the northern and the southern ends of the Channel and their central position, Europa, Juan de Nova and Glorioso Islands represent data points of particular biogeographical interest and could be critical 'stepping stones' for connectivity in the highly dynamic Mozambique Channel region