{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T06:46:42Z","timestamp":1773384402069,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,17]],"date-time":"2025-01-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737072000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Economic Area Financial Mechanism","award":["PT-INNOVATION-0077"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PT-INNOVATION-0077"]}]},{"name":"R&amp;D Institution CIIMAR","award":["PT-INNOVATION-0077"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PT-INNOVATION-0077"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Phycology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Laminaria hyperborea, a key species in marine forest ecosystems, is experiencing pressure at its southern distribution limit in northern Portugal due to climate change and human-induced stressors. The ongoing degradation of marine forests highlights the need for effective restoration strategies to protect biodiversity and maintain the essential services provided by these habitats. Cultivation of juvenile kelps in laboratory settings is a common approach shared across multiple strategies aimed at supporting reforestation efforts; however, the specific cultivation process for L. hyperborea remains largely underexplored. In this study, we tested two seeding densities to optimize the production of L. hyperborea recruits for reforestation initiatives. We assessed the effects of seeding density on juvenile development by measuring both area coverage and length. Our findings revealed that higher seeding density initially promoted greater area coverage (e.g., 8.69 \u00b1 0.38 cm2 vs. 3.35 \u00b1 0.27 cm2) but reduced the length of individual recruits over time (e.g., 0.26 \u00b1 0.0026 cm vs. 0.39 \u00b1 0.003 cm at T3). This suggests that increased competition for resources at high densities limits individual growth. In contrast, lower densities produced larger, more robust individuals (e.g., 0.50 \u00b1 0.004 cm vs. 0.262 \u00b1 0.003 cm at T4), which may enhance post-transplantation survival in challenging environmental conditions. This suggests that utilizing lower seeding densities may improve individual growth while decreasing overall resource use and maintenance needs, promoting a more sustainable cultivation process and minimizing impacts on donor populations. However, further research is essential to refine the cultivation protocols and fully understand the variables influencing juvenile kelp development. Improving all phases of the restoration process, from laboratory cultivation to field deployment, will be critical for reducing costs, streamlining logistics, and ensuring the scalability of future kelp restoration efforts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/phycology5010005","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,17]],"date-time":"2025-01-17T03:33:02Z","timestamp":1737084782000},"page":"5","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Optimizing Early Growth of Laminaria hyperborea in Controlled Settings: A Pathway to Improved Restoration Efforts"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6151-891X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00edlvia","family":"Chemello","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1971-835X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Coutinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"},{"name":"ICBAS\u2014Instituto de Ci\u00eancias Biom\u00e9dicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8846-3314","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M. Francisca","family":"S\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8115-2134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"D\u00e9bora","family":"Borges","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6925-3805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco","family":"Arenas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9231-0553","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Sousa-Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 790, 4150-171 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1528-3907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR-LA\u2014Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leix\u00f5es, Avenida General Norton de Matos s\/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"},{"name":"ICBAS\u2014Instituto de Ci\u00eancias Biom\u00e9dicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"436","DOI":"10.1017\/S0376892902000322","article-title":"Kelp forest ecosystems: Biodiversity, stability, resilience and future","volume":"29","author":"Bourque","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ. 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