• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

As the global demand for the carrageenophyte Kappaphycus is steadily increasing, its overall productivity, carrageenan quality, and disease resistance are gradually declining. In the face of this dilemma, wild Kappaphycus populations are viewed as sources of new cultivars that could potentially enhance production; therefore, assessment of their diversity is crucial. This study highlights the morphological and genetic diversity of wild Kappaphycus species obtained from two sites in the Philippines. Nucleotide alignments of available 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-5P) and cox2-3 spacer sequences of Kappaphycus confirmed the presence of K. alvarezii in Guiuan, Eastern Samar and K. striatus in Bolinao, Pangasinan. Based on the concatenated sequences of the COI-5P and the cox2-3 spacer, nine novel haplotypes were observed along with other published haplotypes. However, there was no relationship between haplotype and morphology. These newly recognized haplotypes indicate a reservoir of unutilized wild genotypes in the Philippines, which could be taken advantage of in developing new cultivars with superior traits. DNA barcodes generated from this study effectively expand the existing databank of Kappaphycus sequences and can provide insights in elucidating the genetic diversity of Kappaphycus species in the country.