Gracilaria spp. (agarophytes) are cultivated by Panamanian communities to use directly as food and as important components of traditional medicines and remedies. These uses are part of the traditional culture of both the Guna Indians and the Afro-Antillean communities. One driving force to better understand the biology of the various species of Gracilaria is their additional, commercial uses based on the agars they produce. In this study, we evaluated the effects of two commercial, soluble extract powders of the temperate, brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (i.e., Ascophyllum marine plant extract powder—AMPEP), and one which had a boosted potassium level (designated as AMPEP K⁺). Each was evaluated for any micropropagation effects on the tropical red alga, Gracilaria blodgettii, in three independent experiments each of which lasted 45 days (the normal grow-out period). The phyco-stimulatory extracts were tested with and without association with standard plant growth regulators which are commonly used in micropropagation practices for higher plants. Growth was measured as a function of increased fresh weight and the number of newly emergent lateral shoots. This study demonstrated that vegetative propagules of G. blodgettii treated with AMPEP at 0.1 mg L⁻¹ provided significant contributions to the successful and sustainable supply of vegetative propagules (“seedstock”). We suggest that the costs and quality of seedstock production can be significantly reduced over traditional methods, thereby contributing to the establishment of much-needed, viable marine farming practices in the Panamanian Caribbean.

江cil （灵芝）是巴拿马社区种植的，可直接用作食物以及作为传统药物和疗法的重要组成部分。这些用途是古纳印第安人和非裔安的列斯群岛社区传统文化的一部分。更好地了解各种江cil属植物生物学的驱动力是它们基于琼脂产生的其他商业用途。在这项研究中，我们评估了两种商品化的温带褐藻海藻Ascophyllum nodosum的可溶性提取物粉末（即海洋植物Ascophyllum海洋植物提取物粉末-AMPEP）的效果，而其中一种具有提高的钾水平（称为AMPEP K ⁺）。在三个独立的实验中，每个实验对热带红藻Gracilaria blodgettii的微繁殖效应进行了评估，每个实验持续45天（正常的成长期）。使用或不使用标准植物生长调节剂测试刺激植物的提取物，该标准植物生长调节剂通常用于高等植物的微繁殖实践中。生长量被测量为新鲜体重增加和新近出现的侧枝数的函数。该研究表明，用0.1 mg L ^-1的AMPEP处理的B. glodgettii的营养繁殖体为植物营养繁殖（“种子”）的成功和可持续供应做出了重大贡献。我们建议，与传统方法相比，可以显着降低种子生产的成本和质量，从而有助于在巴拿马加勒比建立急需的可行的海洋养殖方式。