Two new Saccharina varieties “B013 and A040” have been successfully bred and cultivated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Marine algal culture collection centre, Dr. Shao Jun Pang’s research team) and Rongcheng Lijiang Marine Fishery Company Ltd. at Sanggou Bay, Rongcheng city, Shandong province.

These two varieties have been bred via line crossing by use of geographically isolated populations and assisted with artificial selection over generations. Variety B013 is a hybrid, characterized with higher contents of both alginate acid and Iodine, also with delayed sporulation timing, thus allowing an extended harvesting period in summer. Variety A040 is featured with remarkable wider blade and higher productivity, averaged to be at 60 cm in blade width and 2 kg/individual (FW) at the early April.