Skip to main content

North American Porphyra Cultivation

From Molecules to Markets

  • Chapter

Abstract

The red alga Porphyra (nori) is utilized by humans as a food source throughout the world. In 1992, approximately 15 billion sheets (approximately 45,000 dry metric tons) of Porphyra were produced with an annual value of $1.8 billion (Jensen, 1993). The consumption of nori, long prized by the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and other people of Asia and the western Pacific as a complement to rice, sushi, soups and salads. Additionally, nori is a staple in macrobiotic diets (Mumford and Miura, 1988), is a source of taurine which controls blood cholesterol levels and a valuable source of phycoerythrin, a red pigment used in the medical diagnostic industry. The consumption of nori in the United States was wholly dependent upon importation from Japan, Korea and China prior to Coastal Plantations International entering the market.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Cheney, D. 1997, Genetic manipulation and strain improvement of commercially valuable seaweeds. In Recent Advances in Marine Biotechnologies (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, K. 1990, Chromosomes. In: (Eds.) K. Cole and R. Sheath, The biology of the red algae. Cambridge Univ. Press, NY, pp 73–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutcher, J. And D. Kapraun. 1994, Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) identification of genetic vari- ation in three species of Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta). J. Applied Phycology 6: 267–273.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, A. 1993, Present and future needs for algae and algal products. Hvdrobiologia 260/261:15–23. Kapraun, D., T. Hinson and A. Lemus. 1991, Karyology and cytophotometric estimation of inter-and intraspecific nuclear DNA variation in four species of Porphyra (Rhodophyta). Phycologia 30: 458–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, I.A. and S. Crawford. 1997, North American Porphyra cultivation - Marine Agronomy, Integrated Poly- culture, and Biotechnology. Phycologia 36 (4): 60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mumford, T. And A. Miura. 1988, Porphyra as food: cultivation and economics. In: (eds.) C. Lembi and J. Waaland). Algae and Human Affairs. Cambridge Univ. Press. NY. Pp 87–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, K., K. Roberts, and D. Cheney. 1996, Protoplast isolation and fusion of North Atlantic Porphyra species and Pyezoensis. J. Phycology 32 (4): 50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, K., K. Roberts, D. Cheney, and I. Levine, 1997, Porphyra Hybridization and Strain Improvement for Cultivation in North America. Phycologia 36 (4): 121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarish, C., A.E. Sperr, X.G. Fei, A.C. Mathieson, and I.A. Levine. 1996a, Field and Culture Studies for the Development of a Commercially Viable Nori Aquaculture Industry in New England. J. Phycol Suppl. 32 (3): 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarish, C., A.E. Sperr, X.G. Fei, A.C. Mathieson, and I.A. Levine. 1996b, Field and culture studies of several New England Porphyra species in order to characterize the distributional ecology and develop strains. J. Phycol. Suppl. 32 (3): 52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarish, C., A.C. Mathieson, E. Hehre, A.S. Klein, C.D. Neefus, G.G. Mitman, X.G. Fei, and I. Levine. 1997., Domestication of Porphyra for Northeast America. Phycologia 36(4): 128.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Levine, I.A., Cheney, D. (1998). North American Porphyra Cultivation. In: Gal, Y.L., Halvorson, H.O. (eds) New Developments in Marine Biotechnology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5983-9_30

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5983-9_30

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3300-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-5983-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics