Abstract
This study represents a large-scale investigation into iodine contents in three commercially important and edible
seaweed species from the North Atlantic: the brown algae Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta, and the red
alga Palmaria palmata. Variability among and within species were explored in terms of temporal and spatial
variations in addition to biomass source. Mean iodine concentration in bulk seaweed biomass was speciesspecific:
Saccharina > Alaria > Palmaria. Iodine contents of Saccharina biomass were similar between years
and seasons, but varied significantly between sampling locations and biomass sources. In Alaria and Palmaria,
none of the independent variables examined contributed significantly to the small variations observed. Our data
suggest that all three species are rich sources of iodine, and only 32, 283, or 2149 mg dry weight of unprocessed
dry biomass of Saccharina, Alaria, or Palmaria, respectively, meets the recommended daily intake levels for most
healthy humans.
seaweed species from the North Atlantic: the brown algae Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta, and the red
alga Palmaria palmata. Variability among and within species were explored in terms of temporal and spatial
variations in addition to biomass source. Mean iodine concentration in bulk seaweed biomass was speciesspecific:
Saccharina > Alaria > Palmaria. Iodine contents of Saccharina biomass were similar between years
and seasons, but varied significantly between sampling locations and biomass sources. In Alaria and Palmaria,
none of the independent variables examined contributed significantly to the small variations observed. Our data
suggest that all three species are rich sources of iodine, and only 32, 283, or 2149 mg dry weight of unprocessed
dry biomass of Saccharina, Alaria, or Palmaria, respectively, meets the recommended daily intake levels for most
healthy humans.