Effect of Salinity Differences on Growth and Chlorophyll a Content in Caulerpa racemosa
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Abstract
Caulerpa racemosa (sea grapes) is a commercially valuable green macroalga widely cultivated in Indonesia for its nutritional and economic potential. Salinity is among the most critical environmental factors governing its growth and photosynthetic pigment production, yet the optimal salinity range for Indonesian pond cultivation systems remains poorly defined. This study aimed to determine the effect of different salinities on the growth and chlorophyll a content of C. racemosa and to identify the salinity level that best supported its growth and chlorophyll a content. This study used an experimental method with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four treatments and three replications: S24 (24 ppt), S27 (27 ppt), S30 (30 ppt), and S33 (33 ppt). The C. racemosa cultivation system used the off-bottom method, with an initial weight of 50 g and a water volume of 12 L and was maintained for 43 days. The collected data included morphological observations, absolute growth, specific growth rate (SGR), chlorophyll a content, and water quality. The results showed that salinity had a significant effect (p<0.05) on absolute growth, SGR, and chlorophyll a content, with the highest values observed in treatment S27. Based on the study, the S27 treatment (27 ppt) produced the highest absolute growth (133.28±16.26 g), SGR (3.01±0.21 %·day⁻¹), and chlorophyll a content (452.16±0.19 µg·mL⁻¹), indicating that maintaining salinity around 27 ppt can optimize physiological performance and enhance biomass yield in C. racemosa cultivation.
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