# Seaweeds can switch to asexual reproduction when there are no mates nearby

Source: [Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-seaweeds-asexual-reproduction-nearby.html) · 2026-11-12 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/seaweeds-can-switch-to-asexual-reproduction-when-there-are-no-mates-nearby-6e312ad6fe3c9617
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- Kelp can switch between sexual and asexual reproduction depending on whether potential mates are nearby.
- The study was led by Daniel Liesner at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany, with colleagues.
- The paper, published Nov. 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, describes life-cycle plasticity as enabling conditional asexual reproduction in a kelp.

## Why it matters

It shows that a kelp's reproductive mode can respond to the local availability of mates, which helps explain how seaweeds may reproduce when populations are sparse.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-12: Study published in PLOS Biology

## Coverage

- [Seaweeds can switch to asexual reproduction when there are no mates nearby](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-seaweeds-asexual-reproduction-nearby.html) — Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology, 2026-11-12
- [Life-cycle plasticity enables conditional asexual reproduction in a kelp](https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004065) — PLOS Biology, 2026-11-12

Tags: kelp, seaweed, reproduction, evolution, life-cycle

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science