Developing a cryopreservation protocol for the forest-forming seaweed Phyllospora comosa as a tool for restoration
Description
Global declines in seaweed forests are reducing genetic diversity and, consequently, the resilience of these habitats to changing environmental conditions. To conserve genetic diversity and secure these important coastal habitats, new preservation strategies are needed, such as cryopreservation. We aimed to develop a cryopreservation protocol for sperm and germlings of the fucoid seaweed Phyllospora comosa, a species highly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors. We tested the cytotoxicity of cryoprotectant agents commonly used in seaweed cryopreservation (dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, glycerol, methanol and propylene glycol). We conducted seven experiments that are related to individual datasets. All data were collected from these experiments. All datasets were analysed utilising the same R code and details can be found in the README file.
Files
Steps to reproduce
Data for this manuscript were collected with experiments conducted during the austral winter of 2024 and 2025 (reproductive season of Phyllospora comosa). A series of toxicity and freezing experiments was conducted, where sperm and gemlings of Phyllospora were exposed to cryoprotectant agents, frozen and thawed. Results include concentration, speed and motility of sperm, and survival length and status (e.g., cellular damage) of germlings. Each dataset corresponds to a different experiment (two files per experiment in some cases) Some of the result columns might have different names (e.g. density instead of concentration), but the meaning of each column is described in the README file. Code/software The HTML version of the code utilised for the data analyses can be found in the following link: https://camusrri.github.io/Phyllospora_Musrrietal_Cryobiology.html
Institutions
- University of SydneyNSW, Sydney
- University of New South WalesNSW, Sydney
- Flinders UniversitySA, Adelaide
- Taronga ZooNSW, Mosman