Warm Water Seaweed Farming

Warm Water Seaweed Farming
by Brian Rudolph & Lisbeth Larsen
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World seaweed production
Farmed red seaweed:
2/3 Cottonii + Spinosum
1/3 Gracilaria (Agar) + Nori
Brown algae + other
Wild harvest:
Gigartina + Chondrus
Source: 2013 FAO Tech Paper 580
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Price fluctuations
So which issues do we face in seaweed farming?
Source: 2013 FAO Tech Paper 580
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Farmed warm water carrageenan seaweed
• Eucheuma denticulatum
• Main countries: Indonesia, Philippines, Zanzibar
• Easy to farm:
Spinosum
 Less area selective
 Tolerant to weather changes
 More consistent growth
 Less susceptible to die-offs – ice-ice, epiphytes
Cottonii
• Kappaphycus alvarezii
• Main countries: Indonesia & Philippines
• Difficult to farm:
 Area selective
 Sensitive to weather changes
 Erratic/inconsistent growth
 Prone to die-offs – ice-ice, epiphytes
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Elements of
Seaweed
Growth
Exposure to optimal amounts and
wav e le ngths of photosynthe tically activ e
radiation (PAR) is e sse ntial for rapid plant
growth.
Energy from the s un s upplies the heat and photons
needed to fuel photos ynthes is and growth.
Wate r motion he lps cle an
plants, bring fre sh
nutrie nts and re mov e
toxic me tabolite s
but the great hydraulic forces of
water currents can break weak
gear and inadequately attached
plants .
Water filters light wavelength and intens ity. Water
clarity, color and agitation effect the m agnitude and
degree of thes e effects .
Bas kets or enclos ures retain broken
branches and help to exclude grazers
but m us t permit eas y entry of light and
water.
Nutrie nts from
se awate r se rv e
as building
blocks for plant
growth.
Thes e include
carbon,
nitrogen, phos phates
and other nutrients .
Se awe e ds can kill
the mse lv e s with the ir own
toxic waste products.
Thes e caus e "ice-ice" and
m us t be s wept away.
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Gre at e ne rgy and e ffort
are ne e de d to maintain
he althy se awe e d
monoculture s ...
we e ds, pe sts and
dise ase s will always
try to take ov e r.
Fouling occurs unles s there
is frequent cleaning of
plants and enclos ures .
Farming methods
Raft Method
Fixed-bottom method
Long line method
Spider web method
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Elements of a seaweed farm
service vessels
spreaders and
battens
flotation devices
lines &
rigging for
sus pending
crop
enclosures for crop plants
mooring cables & rigs
good seed
stock
well equipped people
anchors and
counterweights
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Vertical zigzag farming method
Water surface
5
6
7
1
11
8
9
2
10
3
4
Ref Nos. and Description
1-2 – horizontal rope; 200m long; 6mm nylon rope
2-3 – anchor rope; length depends on water depth; 7mm nylon rope
4 – anchor; could be sandbag; stone or concrete block
2-8 – 25 m distance between anchor ropes
1-5 – corner float; 6mm vertical rope approx 1m long; float could
be 2pcs 1.5liter plastic bottles bound together
1-6 – section of seeded rope; 1m long; holds 5 cuttings
7 – float at surface angle of seeded rope; 500 ml mineral water
bottle
1-9 – 5m horizontal rope planted with 10m seeded rope; size of
rope is 4mm; 1m horizontal rope holds 2 m seeded rope
Ref Nos. and Description
10 – sinker; stone or mineral water bottle filled with sand; weight
400-500 grams; sinker rope 4mm, 1m long; sinkers are
attached at distance of 2 meters
11 – junction point where seeded rope is tied to horizontal rope; a
loop (2mm rope) is pre-attached to horizontal rope, while 15cm
tie-tie rope(2mm rope) is pre-attached to seeded rope; rope tietie is attached to the loop to set up seeded rope on horizontal
rope
Notes:
a)
Distance between 2 parallel horizontal ropes is 4 meters
b)
Planting can be more intensified by attaching 6-7 plants/m,
and by reducing distance of loops to less than 1m
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Preparation of Seaweed Farming Materials
Preparation of Seedling
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Tying of Seedling in Rope/Quadrant
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Using all means of flotation…
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CP Kelco Confidential – Do not copy or share without permission
CP Kelco Confidential – Do not copy or share without permission
CP Kelco Confidential – Do not copy or share without permission
New Technology Requirements
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Low cost
Fast seeding (kg versus time)
Flexible in water column
Secure spacing of plants
Easy maintenance
Fast harvesting
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YOUR IDEAS ARE WELCOME
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