Seaweedland
Developing the protocols for on-land cultivation
Commercial
Heerhugowaard, Netherlands
2022
What we are doing
Hortimare partners closely with Seaweedland to develop raceway technology, designed to cultivate diverse seaweed species as a proof of concept for the feasibility of large-scale, indoor cultivation. Seaweedland serves as a testing ground, identifying optimal species and refining solutions for upscaling. The project aims for continuous, year-round production using 70-meter raceways, each holding over 150m³ of water. Key technical advancements include managing water temperature, filtration, and optimizing water usage to enable efficient and sustainable seaweed farming.
Palmaria palmata
Based on Hortimare’s Palmaria palmata cultivation protocols from spore to mature plant, Seaweedland was able to begin cultivating the red alga and obtain a growth rate of 11% per day, using Hortimare starting material. Each individual grows to at least 1 kg, and can then be fragmented for further growth.
Asparagopsis spp.
Hortimare adapted Seaweedland’s raceway system to be compatible and stable for warm water filamentous species for the first cultivation trial of Asparagopsis taxiformis tetrasporophytes. We consider the first trial successful, as no major contamination affected the results and daily growth rates reached up to 14%.
Gracilaria spp.
We established clean and stable cultures for all life stages (sporophytes, male and female gametophytes) of multiple Gracilaria species. We have shown that our Portuguese strain can be cultivated in our raceway and have seen daily growth rates of 8%, even though the environmental conditions are not yet optimized.
Ulva spp.
Locally sourced Ulva sp. from the Wadden Sea has been growing continiously in several raceways, with an average daily growth rate of 7%, and a measured protein content of 26%. We have been vegetatively propagating the same culture since May 2024.
It’s the partnership and teamwork with Hortimare that’s unique and essential in our mission to create sustainable food based on seaweed.