The number of species of the green alga sea lettuce in the Baltic Sea region and Skagerak and is much larger than what was previously known.
The number of species of the green alga sea lettuce in the Baltic Sea region and Skagerak and is much larger than what was previously known. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have surveyed 10,000 kilometres of coast and found twenty species of sea lettuce.
Green macroalgae of the genus Ulva, also known as sea lettuce, are almost ubiquitous in the wider Baltic Sea region and and can be found from the Atlantic waters all the way up to the Bay of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. Sea lettuce reproduce easily and grow quickly, which makes it interesting for an expanding aquaculture industry. Research is ongoing both in Sweden and abroad for utilising sea lettuce in the food industry and for different biochemical applications.
There are multiple species, but until now it has not been known how many there are and previously only a handful had been identified.
Read more at University of Gothenburg
Photo: Sea lettuce, which is a type of green alga, grows along the coasts and is interesting as potential food source. A new survey shows that there are 20 different species of sea lettuce along the Swedish coast. Credit: Sophie Steinhagen
