To survive, seaweeds need to be tougher too, and the commercially important ones like Kappaphycus and Gracilaria can be made so with the help of research. In comes biotechnology. Not to mess with the genetic make-up of seaweeds, the tools are far from that, and besides, seaweed-importing countries are wary of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), but to help seaweeds reproduce and grow better without interference and under controlled conditions. The most successful cultivar grown will eventually be distributed among seaweed farmers. The effort is also to reduce the occurrence of "ice-ice" disease or the whitening of the thallus syndrome. Through the full efforts of SEAFDEC, the research institution in Iloilo, the Government of Japan awarded a biotechnology facility to the Department of Agriculture and this was sited within the SEAFDEC station. With this facility, SEAFDEC has made remarkable strides in its seaweed strain improvement program.

SEAFDEC conducts training on seaweed biotech. (2007, April 10). The News Today, p. 4.