Seaweed Farm Glossary

Anchor – A weight or structure used to secure a seaweed farm’s mooring system to the seabed, ensuring stability.

Anchor weights (galvanized) – Heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant weights used to keep seaweed farming infrastructure securely in place.

Biofouling – The accumulation of unwanted marine organisms (e.g. mussels, epiphytes) on seaweed farm structures.

Blade/Frond – The leaf-like part of a seaweed that absorbs nutrients and sunlight for growth.

Buoyancy control – The practice of adjusting farm components (using floats or weights) to maintain optimal seaweed growth conditions.

Buoy (can be followed by anchor/spreader etc.) – A floating device used for marking, supporting, or stabilising different components of the seaweed farm, such as anchors and spreader bars.

Coppicing – A method of harvesting seaweed where only the upper portion of the fronds is cut, allowing the remaining structure to continue growing.

Depth control – The regulation of farm structures to ensure seaweed grows at an ideal depth for sunlight and nutrient access.

Dropper line – A vertical line attached to the grow line where seaweed spores settle and grow.

Droppers / dropper weights – Weights attached to droppers to maintain their position in the water column and prevent excessive movement.

Epiphytes – Small plants or algae that grow on seaweed, sometimes affecting quality and yield.

Floatation device – Any object used to provide buoyancy to seaweed farming structures, often in addition to buoys.

Grid – The structured layout of ropes, lines, and anchors used to organise and stabilise a seaweed farm.

Grow line – The horizontal rope or structure on which seaweed is cultivated. Seeded with spores, it supports growth until harvest.

Grow-out season – The season in which seaweed grows, for kelp this is usually October - May.

Harvesting window – The optimal period for collecting cultivated seaweed, based on growth stage and environmental conditions.

Header line / longitudinal gable / side line – A primary structural line running along the length of the farm, supporting other components such as grow lines and moorings.

Intertidal farming – A farming method where seaweed is grown in shallow waters that are exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide.

Mooring line – A strong rope or cable used to anchor the farm system to the seabed and keep it stable against tides and currents.

Nursery – A controlled environment where juvenile seaweed is grown before transplantation to larger farm structures.

Pipe – A cylindrical structure, sometimes used in seaweed farming systems, for added buoyancy, spacing, or stability.

Runner chain – A linking chain that allows for adjustments in positioning or movement of seaweed farm components.

Seeding – The process of introducing seaweed spores onto grow lines or other substrates to initiate cultivation.

Set line / cross brace – A structural component that provides additional stability to a seaweed farm by connecting key lines together.

Sinkers / risers / weights – Various heavy objects used to submerge or adjust the buoyancy of farm structures.

Spinners – Figure of 8 plastic tool

Spores – A reproductive unit produced by seaweeds; spores give rise to the gametophyte stage in the seaweed life cycle.

Spool / seeded twine – Spools of twine (usually Nylon) for seedlings to attach to before outplanting on a farm.

Spreader bar – A horizontal bar used to distribute tension and keep lines evenly spaced in the farming system.

Stopper knot – A type of knot tied at the end of a rope to prevent it from slipping through a hole, pulley, or another knot.

Substrate – Any surface (natural or artificial) to which seaweed spores can attach and grow.

Superseeding / overseeding – A method of enhancing the chance of seaweed growth by adding extra spores or improving initial seeding techniques for better yields.

Tie-ins / tie-offs / extensions – Ropes or fasteners used to secure different parts of the farm, adjust lengths, or add additional structures.

Tensioning – The act of tightening lines to maintain the correct spacing and positioning of seaweed structures.

Test line – A line of seaweed that is outplanted to test the viability of the area for seaweed cultivation or the optimal growing depth, among other things.

Upwelling – The natural movement of nutrient-rich water from deeper layers to the surface, benefiting seaweed growth.

Yield per meter – A common metric used to measure seaweed productivity based on the length of grow lines.