The sugar kelp Saccharina latissima I: Recent advances in a changing climate

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BackgroundThe sugar kelp Saccharina latissima is a Laminariales species widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere.Its physiology and ecology have been studied since the 1960s, given its ecological relevance in western temperate coasts.However, research interest has recently been rising, driven mainly by reports of negative impacts of anthropogenically induced environmental change and by the increased commercial interest in cultivating the species with several industrial applications for the resulting biomass.• Scope We reviewed peer-review research articles, reports, doctoral theses, and book chapters that targeted Saccharina latissima published from 2009 to May 2023.We include earlier publications only in the few cases where some key knowledge has not been recently supported or contested.• ConclusionsThe comprehensive view of the ecology, physiology, biochemical and molecular biology of S. latissima given here can fuel our understanding of its survival in nature and finetuning of cultivation methods for several specific applications, promoting a sustainable resource.Recent developments in genomics, transcriptomics and epigenomics have contributed significantly to improving the understanding of genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms underlying plasticity and local adaptation.Due to its wide distribution, S. latissima has to cope with a large variability of different environmental conditions and possible interactions between drivers.Therefore, S. latissima has developed a variety of physiological and biochemical mechanisms to adjust to environmental changes.Survival, growth, photosynthetic performance, metabolism, and enzymatic activity are strongly affected by abiotic conditions, such as temperature, salinity, nutrient conditions or ocean acidification.Massive alterations regarding abundance, depth distribution and seasonal growth patterns of S. latissima have been reported recently throughout its distribution range, likely in response to climate change.These biogeographic changes are expected to continue, and although much effort has been dedicated to studying S. latissima responses to environmental drivers, there are still large knowledge gaps.