Yeshwantrao Chavan Mahavidyalaya , Tuljapur , Dist.-Osmanabad-413 601 (MH), INDIA

1. YeshwantraoChavanMahavidyalaya, Tuljapur, Dist.-Osmanabad-413 601 (MH), INDIA Department of Fishery Science Dr S L Bhalkare Head and Assistant prof.

2. B.Sc. Second Year Semester IV Paper –Fish Culture II Topic: Seaweed Farming

3. Seaweed Farming

4. What isa seaweed? How do we cultureit? Whatisthe advantageof itsculture? What does itcontribute? What is itsimportance?

5. Overview: SeaweedDefinition Seaweed FarmingDefinition Specie Focus(Eucheuma) SiteSelection SitePreparation Diff. CultureMethods FarmManagement Benefits ofSeaweed Uses ofSeaweeds

6. I. SeaweedDefined: Seaweeds are marine macro & micro algae, they are plant-like organisms that generally live attached to rock or other hard substrata in coastalareas.

7. Major SeaweedClassification: • According topigments • Phaeophyta (brownalgae) • Rhodophyta (redalgae) • Chlorophyta (greenalgae)

8. II. Seaweed Farming Defined: is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplestform, it consists of the management of naturally foundbatches. In its most advancedform, it consists of fully controlling the life cycle of thealgae.

9. Did you knowthat… … Seaweed growsfast! The weight of your seaweed can become 10 times heavier in 6 to 8 weeks. In otherwords, if you have a 150 gram plant to start, after 6 to 8 weeks that plant will weigh about 1.5kilograms.

10. Did you knowthat… Thus, Eucheuma seaweed has a very fastgrowth; a clear advantage for the farmers!

11. III. SpecieFocus: Eucheuma or Guso, in the Philippines can grow in differentcolors. You can find some plant to be either green orbrown. Despite their different colors, these plants give the sameend-product.

12. III. SpecieFocus: Eucheuma Eucheuma seaweed has no roots but some of its branchescan attach to corals andgrow. Even though seaweed grows in all directions, most of its branches grow up toward the sea surface.

13. IV. SiteSelection: 1. Choose a location where there isa good water movement or where there is a rapid waterturnover. Hence, H2O current speed should be between 20 to 40m/min.

14. IV. SiteSelection: 2. Area should be shelteredfrom very strong wave action, current andwinds. 3… Avoid areas that are near the mouth of rivers or where there is a heavy freshwater runoff.

15. IV. SiteSelection: …3. Eucheumais a purely marine alga. Salinity of the farm area should be from 27 -35parts/thousand. 4. The area should have a water temperature range between 25°C and30°C.

16. IV. SiteSelection: 5. Water depth in the farm should not be less than 2 feet during the lowest tide and more than 7 feet during hightide. 6. The ground should be stable enough to permit easyinstallation of stakes orbamboos.

17. IV. SiteSelection: 7. Farm bottom compositionshould be sandy and rocky depending upon the variety ofEucheuma. 8. If possible, choose areas where Eucheumais endemic. However, the absence of such is not necessarily a negativesign.

18. IV. SiteSelection: 9. Take note of the other marine plants and animals that are associated with Eucheuma, for they are good indicators of possible site for itsfarming. 10. Consider also the availability of labor, materials, accessibility to transportation and communication as well.

19. V. Preparation of the PlantSite: Steps to follow acc. To BFAR 1. Cut all grasses and remove all obstacles from thearea.

20. V. Preparation of the PlantSite: Steps to follow acc. To BFAR 2. Remove the rocks, stones, starfishes, sea urchins &other predators.

21. V. Preparation of the Plant Site: Steps to follow acc. To BFAR 3. Construct a farm house w/ a drying platform on the selectedsite.

22. V. Preparation of the PlantSite: Steps to follow acc. To BFAR 4. Prepare rattan/buri baskets or seed-bin for holding seedstocks.

23. Preparation of the PlantSite: Steps to follow acc. To BFAR 5. Also prepare other culture materials such as nylon monolines, nylon nets, etc.

24. Methods ofCulture: • Netmethod • Floatingbamboo method • Mangrove stakes and nets • Bottom monolinemethod • Floating monolinemethod

25. VI. Methods ofCulture: • 1. Netmethod • It is the first commercially adapted technique in Eucheuma culture. • Planting unit is a rectangular net measuring 2.5 × 5 m with a diagonal meshwork having a 25 cm barlength.

26. VI. Methods ofCulture: • Net is made up of monofilament nylon or standed polypropylene lines (110–150 lbs test) for the margin and 30–100 lbs test for themeshwork. • Each net unit has 127 mesh intersections. Eucheuma seedlings are tied at these places using soft plastic straws(tie-tie).

27. NetMethod

28. VI. Methods ofCulture: 1.2. Floating bamboomethod a. Tie each corner of a 2.5 × 5 m net to a large coral with a cord so that the net is stretchedtightly.

29. VI. Methods ofCulture: Cut one meter piece of bamboo and tie one piece to each corner of thenet. Add additional net to the previously constructed one.

30. FloatingBamboo Method“Lantay”

31. VI. Methods ofCulture: 1.3. Mangrove stakes andnets a. Install mangrove stake bipod and tripod 6 meters apart in rows with 11 bipods or tripods in eachrow.

32. VI. Methods ofCulture: The rows should be 6 meters apart (11 rows can hold 20 nets). (BFAR Handouts). Attach 2.5 × 5 meters net to the bipods andtripods. Make sure all nets are stretched tightly and are at least 2 feet above the bottom but below the lowest tide level.

33. Methods ofCulture: 2. Bottom MonolineMethod The fixed, off-bottom monoline method or bottom line method of cultivation is commonly used in commercialfarms.

34. Methods ofCulture: 3. Floating MonolineMethod Opposite of bottom monolinemethod.

35. Images FloatingMonoline BottomMonoline

36. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm • 1) Seed selection andpreparation • Careful selection of seedlings is a must. Healthy strong branches should bechosen. • Good seedlings are usually found at the center and near the tip of a healthyplant.

37. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm The ways to prepare the seedlingsare: a. Use a clean and sharp stainless knife to cut the branches in orderto leave a smoothsurface.

38. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm b. Never cut thebranchin aslant position.

39. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm C. Do not produce seedlings with any cuts at itsbranches.

40. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm • 2) Tying ofseedlings • Use of soft, flexible, noteasily shredded and medium-sized plastic. • Tying length will be 6 inches (15.3cm).

41. VII. Managementof EucheumaFarm The following arethe ways to tieseedlings: a. Seedlingsshould be tied at thestrongest point where they are well-balanced for free movement. Avoid breakage of the branches.

42. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm b. Tie the seedlings properly with enough allowance forgrowth.

43. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm c. Do not tie two or moreseedlings together.

44. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm • 3. Harvesting ofSeaweed • Harvesting can also be made a part of the maintenanceprocedure. • Eucheuma are harvestable when they reach the weight between 750–850g.

45. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm • 3.1 Pre-harvestactivities • Prepare all the necessary harvesting materials such as baskets, sacks, knife and goggles. • Prepare the drying area.

46. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm 3.2 HarvestingProcedures a. Go row by row through the farm, harvest each plant by pruning. Remove branches from each plant using a sharp stainless knife. Leave about 200 g on each plantfor regeneration.

47. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm b. In total harvesting, just cut the allowance portion of the tie in- between the plant and the nylonline. c.Using scoop nets, scoopharvested plants. d. Collect all harvested plants in the banca.

48. VII. Management ofEucheuma Farm Paddle the banca to the drying area when it is alreadyfull. Unload, weigh and keep a record of all the harvests beforespreading them todry.

49. VIII. Benefits ofSeaweeds • BloodPurifying: • The chemical composition of seaweeds is so close to human blood plasma, that they are excellent at regulating and purifying ourblood. • High inCalcium: • They can contain up to 10 times more calcium than milk and 8 times as much asbeef.

50. VIII. Benefits ofSeaweeds • Alkalizing: • Helps our blood to neutralize the over-acidic effects of our moderndiet. • Have Powerful ChelatingProperties: • Offers protection from a wide array of environmental toxins, including heavy metals, pollutants&radiation by- products, by converting them toharmless salts that the body can eliminateeasily.