After collecting, the seaweeds were grouped in two plastic
boxes covered with wet towels and then transported to the laboratory.
The seaweeds were washed thoroughly with fresh seawater
and then gently brushed to remove sediment and epiphytes. After
length and wet weight measurements (drained on a towel for 30 s
before analysis), 50 thalli of S. hemiphyllum and 40 thalli of S. henslowianum
samples were randomly attached on culture ropes (with
their creeping stolons inserted into the twists of the ropes) and
then cultured in the net cage (dimension: 3 m 3m 4 m) with
a density of 10 thalli m2 at a depth of 1.5 m, mimicking conditions
at the control site. The average length and wet weight of the cultured
S. hemiphyllum were 103.86 ± 17.72 cm and 29.34 ± 12.56 g,
respectively, whereas those of S. henslowianum were
116.33 ± 23.36 cm and 40.96 ± 12.62 g, respectively.