Speaker

About the speaker: 

Gianluca is leading the red algal group focusing on controlling the life cycle and  cultivation of Palmaria palmata.

Company info:

Hortimare BV is the reliable, sustainable and long-term orientated supplier of high quality starting material for the seaweed industry globally. The long-term focus of Hortimare is to supply the right varieties of seaweed to build up a sustainable business that can compete with land-based agriculture. 

Presentation: 

Palmaria palmata, better known as dulse, is a highly-valued red seaweed of commercial importance, already being used as food source. Because the demand for P. palmata is  increasing, the availability of biomass cannot solely rely on wild harvesting. Despite its growing demand and interest, large-scale cultivation systems have not yet been established, primarily owing to the unique life cycle of P. palmata.

In this presentation, Gianluca will explore the challenges presented by the biology of P palmata in the establishment of a seed bank, the implementation of a breeding program, and the execution of spore seeding for subsequent cultivation of P palmata.

Additionally, he will discuss alternative cultivation systems and the prospects for scaling up the cultivation of this species in the future.