Integrated Morphological and DNA Barcoding Classification of Select Edible Seaweed Species in Vietnam
Main Article Content
Abstract
Seaweed cultivation has emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable livelihoods across more than 56 nations, supporting millions of coastal communities particularly in low and middle-income countries, including Vietnam through resilient economic opportunities and food security. In the era of globalization, Vietnam's aquaculture sector stands poised for substantial expansion, with promising avenues to broaden international markets and enhance export values. Yet, this potential is tempered by formidable challenges, foremost among them the European Union's imposition of the IUU fishing yellow card since 2017, which underscores the urgent need for robust fisheries management. To lift this sanction, Vietnam has intensified efforts in resource exploitation oversight, traceability of aquatic products, and stringent monitoring of fishing vessel operations. One of central to this endeavor is the precise identification and traceability of seaweed species, which plays a pivotal role in dismantling barriers to compliance with IUU regulations. Historically, seaweed research in Vietnam has relied predominantly on morphological analyses, a methodology fraught with limitations when distinguishing isomorphic species that exhibit convergent phenotypes. Addressing this gap, the present study introduces an integrated approach that synergizes morphological data with DNA barcoding to accurately delineate economically valuable edible seaweed species distributed in Vietnam (Gracilaria eucheumatoides, Ulva lactuca, and Gelidiella acerosa). Our findings demonstrate that, among the evaluated DNA barcode loci cox1 and rbcL exhibit superior discriminatory power, enabling precise and efficient differentiation of all investigated taxa. This research not only mitigates the risks of illicit trade and adulteration in high-value seaweed commodities destined for food markets but also alleviates the paucity of Vietnamese-sourced barcode sequences in global gene banks. Furthermore, it furnishes molecular reference materials essential for authenticating processed food products, while offering a streamlined protocol for species identification and genetic conservation of Vietnam's seaweed biodiversity.
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