Spatial and Temporal Variability of Carbohydrate Compositions in Cultivated Alaria marginata, Nereocystis luetkeana, and Saccharina latissima

This study aimed to determine spatial and temporal patterns of commercially valuable carbohydrate compositions among commonly grown Alaskan kelp species during the typical harvest period. We assessed the relative abundance of carbohydrates (glucan, mannitol, alginate, and fucoidan) as well as the sulfate content of fucoidan and the ratio of mannuronic to guluronic acids in alginate (M:G ratio) as proxies of chemical attributes in cultivated Alaria marginata, Nereocystis luetkeana, and Saccharina latissima. Samples were collected with temporal replication from five commercial farm sites across Alaska, including the Kodiak Archipelago, Prince William Sound, and Southeast Alaska between April and June of 2023.

Access the publication here.