Seaweed biochar is an efficient alternative bioadsorbent for Cu²⁺ removal due to its low cost and heavy metal removal capacity. Using the slow pyrolysis process, we produced biochars from Macrocystis pyrifera at 300 (BC300), 450 (BC450), and 600 °C (BC600). The physicochemical and structural properties of the biochar samples improved with increasing pyrolysis temperature from 300 to 450 °C, whereas no significant differences were observed with further increases in temperature to 600 °C. The yield ranged between 49% and 62% and had a high ash content (57.5–71.1%). BC450 and BC600 presented the highest surface areas and higher porosities. The FTIR spectra indicated that an increase of temperature decreased the acidic functional groups due to depolymerization and the dehydration processes, increasing the aromatic structures and the presence of calcium carbonate. The fittings of the kinetic models were different for the BCs: for the BC450 and BC600 samples, the Cu²⁺ adsorption was well-represented by a pseudo-first-order model; for BC300, a better fit was obtained with the pseudo-second-order model. The rate-limiting step of Cu²⁺ adsorption on BCs was represented by both models, liquid film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion, with surface diffusion being more important in BC300 and BC600, and intraparticle diffusion in BC450, in agreement with the pore size of the biochar samples. The adsorption isotherms of all BCs showed Langmuir behavior, representative of a chemisorption process, which was corroborated by the energy adsorption values determined by the D–R model. The maximum monolayer Cu²⁺ adsorption capacities were 93.55 and 58.0 mg g⁻¹ for BC600 and BC450, respectively, whereas BC450 presented the highest affinity. Other mechanisms involved in controlling heavy metal removal from aqueous suspensions using these seaweed biochars remain to be explored. We conclude that BC450 and BC600 from M. pyrifera are the most efficient adsorbents for Cu²⁺ aqueous removal and are thus an appropriate alternative for bioremediation.

The study of pollution effects in the marine environment has become important in recent decades, and the exposure to simultaneous pollutants has become especially relevant. Indeed, the study of key organisms, such as ecosystem engineers, can show a broader view of the effects of pollutants. In this context, we evaluate in situ the effects of a short (7-day) pollution pulse of combined solutions of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Cu + PAHs, Cd + PAHs, Cu + Cd, and Cu + Cd + PAHs) on the development and morphological features of Macrocystis pyrifera sporophytes over a period of 90 days. Additionally, we determined the effects on the community structure associated with this kelp. This study evidenced a smaller number of blades and a decreased size of blades and holdfasts, as well as the death of individuals exposed to a secondary mix of metals (Cu + Cd) and a tertiary mix of pollutants (Cu + Cd + PAHs). Regarding the effects on the accompanying fauna, low richness and diversity were registered. M. pyrifera grazers, according to the mixture of pollutants, were either absent or diminished. These results show that the pulse of contamination in the early stages of M. pyrifera negatively affects its development and morphometry, as well as its role as an ecosystem engineer, due to a negative alteration in the species composition.

PAHs and heavy metals are characteristic pollutants in urbanized coastal areas, especially those with industrial activity. Given this context and the ability of Macrocystis pyrifera to drift when detached and provide trophic subsidy in coastal systems, we analyzed the potential transfer of pollutants to the herbivore Tetrapygus niger, through diet, in an industrialized coastal zone in Central Chile (Caleta Horcón) and characterized the impacted zone using diverse polluted ecotoxicological indices. For this purpose, a culture experiment was conducted where M. pyrifera individuals from Algarrobo (control site) were cultivated in Caleta Horcón and then used as food for T. niger. The contents of both PAHs and heavy metal contents were subsequently determined in algal tissue and sea urchin gonads as well as in the seawater. The results show that algae cultivated in Caleta Horcón had higher concentrations of naphthalene (NAF) compared to those from a low industrial impact zone (Algarrobo) (2.5 and 1.8 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). The concentrations of Cu, As, and Cd were higher in Caleta Horcón than in Algarrobo in both M. pyrifera and T. niger. For all metals, including Pb, higher concentrations were present in T. niger than in M. pyrifera (between 5 and 798 times higher). Additionally, as indicated by the toxicological indices MPI (0.00804) and PLI (10.89), Caleta Horcón is highly contaminated with metals compared to Algarrobo (0.0006 and 0.015, respectively). Finally, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and trophic transfer factor (TTF) values were greater than one in most cases, with values in Caleta Horcón exceeding those in Algarrobo by one or two orders of magnitude. This study provides evidence that Caleta Horcón is a highly impacted zone (HIZ) compared to Algarrobo, in addition to evidence that the biomagnification of certain pollutants, including the possible responses to contaminants, are apparently not exclusively transferred to T. niger through diet.

Taking into consideration climate change scenarios, marine contamination, and a constantly expanding world population, seaweed aquaculture has become an important option for the large-scale production of high-quality biomass. Due to existing biological knowledge of Gracilaria chilensis, several cultivation strategies have been established for obtaining diverse biomolecules (lipids, fatty acids, pigments, among others) with nutraceutical properties. In this research, indoor and outdoor cultivation methodologies were applied to generate high biomass of G. chilensis with positive quality for productive purposes, where the quality was determined according to the concentrations of lipoperoxides and phenolic compounds and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The results showed that G. chilensis cultures, which were fertilized for three weeks with Basfoliar^® Aktiv (BF) at concentrations of 0.05–1% v/v, obtained high biomass (1–1.3 kg m^–2) and DGR (0.35–4.66% d^–1), low lipoperoxides (0.5–2.8 µmol g^–1 DT), and high phenolic compounds (0.4–0.92 µ eq. GA g^–1 FT) and TAC (5–7.5 nmol eq. TROLOX g^–1 FT) as compared with other culture media. Lower stress was determined under indoor cultures, due to the operative control of diverse physicochemical stressor parameters (T°, light intensity, photoperiod, among others). Therefore, the cultures developed allow scaling the biomass in productive terms and are suitable for obtaining compounds of interest.

Seaweed aquaculture is affected by natural and anthropogenic stressors, which put the biomass productivity of the cultures at risk. Seaweed biomass for commercial purposes, principally in pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical applications, needs to be free of pollutants; therefore, controlled cultures have relevance in regulating the quality of biomass. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the successful utilization of controlled outdoor cultures to remove excess heavy metal accumulation in Gracilaria chilensis, an important commercial seaweed farming model. Specifically, we designed a simple and operational heavy metal depuration protocol, utilizing seawater and tap water removal, which permitted the concentration reduction of 10 heavy metals, including As, Cu, and Cd but not Zn, from the biomass at 7 days of culture. The percentage of depuration of the heavy metals ranged from 32 to 92% at 7 days, which was maintained throughout 21 days of culture. During the culture period, the monitored physicochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, among others) remained stable, with an increase in the daily growth rate (DGR% d⁻¹) of the biomass recorded after 14 days of culture. Consequently, the experimental setup was successful for heavy metal depuration, which highlights the importance of controlled outdoor cultures as important tools of sustainability.

Gracilaria chilensis is distributed in New Zealand (including Chatham Island) and South America. This species has a three-stage sexual life cycle, as well as asexual and vegetative reproduction, and is commercially important as it is a valuable source for producing agar. However, basing the crops exclusively on clonal reproduction and vegetative propagation has led to a reduction in their genotypic diversity, an increase in their susceptibility to infection by epiphytes, and a decrease in their quality. Thus, it is important to establish indoor cultures of G. chilensis from thalli with a mixed reproductive regime (sexual and asexual) that maintains the genetic variability of the cultivars. In this study, the biomass, growth rate, and productivity of indoor cultures of G. chilensis were evaluated (as a first approach) using various culture media (i.e., von Stosch medium (VS), Basfoliar® Aktiv (BF), and mixtures of VS and BF, namely, VS/BF-A and VS/BF-B). The VS/BF-A medium showed the best results in terms of biomass (51.8 ± 3.7 g m–2), growth rate (4.55 ± 0.43 %d–1), and productivity (14 g m–2 d–1), including the occurrence of thalli with cystocarps. The positive results using the VS/BF-A medium could be attributed to the fact that BF provides different elements (K, Cu, Mo, and Zn) that are crucial, since they are involved in numerous physiological functions in the algae, and also to the N:P ratio utilized (1:1), which positively affects growth and productivity. This information provides pivotal updated knowledge regarding cultures of G. chilensis under controlled conditions, promoting its successful cultivation for productive purposes.