Kelp Farming

Kelp farming is the cultivation of large brown macroalgae, chiefly Saccharina and Laminaria species, on seeded longlines suspended in coastal water for food, feed, hydrocolloids, and bioproducts. Gametophyte or zoospore seed is settled on twine, outplanted in autumn, and harvested in spring, requiring no feed, freshwater, or fertilizer since the crop draws nutrients and carbon directly from seawater. As an inorganic extractive species in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, kelp removes dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus from fed-fish waste; IMTA trials on Saccharina latissima recorded roughly 22 percent longer blades and 38 percent more biomass than monoculture. Asia, led by China, dominates output.