Regulation of reproduction in the sea lettuce Ulva fenestrata
This is a suggestion for a Degree Project for Bachelor's and Master's levels at the Department of Marine Sciences. Degree projects at the Department of Marine Sciences are done independently and must be written and assessed individually.
Subject: Marine Biology
Project level: Adjustable to Master or Bachelor project
Project start and length: both flexible, but start not before March 2024
Supervisor: Swantje Enge
Location: Tjärnö Marine Laboratory
Project background
The sea lettuce Ulva fenestrata is a promising candidate for seaweed aquaculture and its cultivation has been recently started in Sweden. Especially in tank cultivation, the seaweed repeatedly reproduces.
During reproduction, a large proportion of the vegetative blade tissue is transferred to motile spores/gametes, which significantly decreases seaweed biomass.
To enhance productivity, an improved understanding of external and intrinsic factors that regulate reproduction is needed.
Project description
Depending on your interests, level and the project´s length you will perform manipulative experiments testing different environmental factors, e.g. light, temperature and nutrients, and/or intrinsic factors, e.g. sporulation inhibitors extracted from Ulva tissue.
Contact
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Swantje Enge for more information.
Email: swantje.enge@gu.se