See text Laurencia is a genus of red algae that grow in temperate and tropical shore areas, in littoral to sublittoral habitats, at depths up to 65 m (213 ft).
[4] The genus belongs to order Ceramiales reported to have 137 species, with a rich body of knowledge spanning for more than 50 years of research.
Laurencia has numerous ecological roles, serving as refuge for different marine organisms in areas where they grow abundantly, forming forests.
In field trials, Laurencia tends to inhibit coral larvae dispersal resulting to higher mortality when the algae is present.
[citation needed] Gametophytic individuals are dioecious in nature, typically developed on the branchlets, but can be present in the main branch as well.
[citation needed] A growing interest in the cultivation of Laurencia brongniartii has emerged due to its potential to be a newfound source for antibiotics.
[15] In addition, Laurencia is known to be an abundant source of halogenated metabolites, including a variety of terpenes (e.g. sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, and C15 acetogenins).
The diverse chemical composition of Laurencia has been subject to numerous research mainly attributed to both environmental and genetic factors.
For years, humans have utilized Laurencia as food, medicinal products, fertilizers, and from recent research, an abundant source of pharmacological significance.
[4] The commercialization of the species may require further research in order to optimize culture conditions and eventually, harvest greater yield and develop a more systematic cultivation system.