Growth rates in species of the genus Gracilaria may differ from one area to another, depending on the variation environ-
mental parameters. In this study one can observe that growth showed practically the same biomass evolution, with values slightly higher in the rainy season. The mean values of 4.4% d 1 (rainy period) and 4.3% d 1 (dry period) were higher than those found by Marinho-Soriano et al. [10] for the same species cultivated in an estuary. Similar values were found by De Casabianca et al. [11], for Gracilaria bursa-pastoris in the