Sargassum muticum Sargassum muticum Sargassum muticum, commonly known as Japanese wireweed, is a large brown seaweed of the genus "Sargassum". It is an invasive seaweed with high growth rate (up to 10 cm per day during spring). It has an efficient dispersion thanks to its floats. "Sargassum muticum" is a brown seaweed, normally brown to yellowish with a length up to 10 m. It is an autotroph that uses energy from sunlight. The photosynthesis is facilitated thanks to aerial vesicles which allows the algae to raise to the surface. "Sargassum muticum" is composed of two distinct parts: a perennial part, which contains
Sargassum muticum around the farming structures, requiring additional maintenance. It also gets entangled with the propellers of the boats. Mechanical removal—however this promotes dissemination of the species and the technique is labor-intensive. Chemical—the use of herbicides is advised against, because it poses a major risk to the environment and others organisms. Biological—there are few natural predators, one example is a little copepod that will eat only the unhealthy and damaged parts of "S. muticum." Currently the distribution is stabilized, and only mechanical removal is performed. There are some potential uses for "Sargassum muticum." In agriculture, algae are used as sources of nitrate