Cultivating red seaweed Palmaria palmata. Cultivation method and attitudes in the seaweed industry.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the prospects of cultivating P. palmata from a technical point of view and to gain knowledge on the industry perspective in Scandinavia. The method was developed based on a pilot study done at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory and proceeded with new trials of cultivation techniques. The experimental cultivation focused on the effects of light intensity level and nutrient level on growth rates and dulse quality. Questionnaires were used during a seaweed conference at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory to gain knowledge about the attitudes within the industry. The findings show that P. palmata growth rates increase when light intensity and nutrient level is increased, but this may result in trade-offs regarding the quality. Furthermore, the findings from the questionnaire show that interest for P. palmata is high and people in the industry view the species to be well-established in some areas of use and up-and-coming in new applications.