Information about Seaweed

What is seaweed ?

Seaweed is a plant that grows in the sea. There are thousands of different kinds of seaweed all over the world. For example sea grapes, known as Euchema Cottonii, is farmed in Malaysia. In Taiwan, glassweed, Lumiwawa, and maidenhair, Lumicevata, are the most commonly farmed seaweeds.

Our seaweed species which is grow at Pulau Omadal, Semporna, Malaysia. We have two type of seaweed, Euchema Cottonii and Kapapychus Alvezi.

What does Eucheuma seaweed look like ?

As you can see from the figure below, Eucheuma has a very characteristic shape.

Eucheuma seaweed can grow in different colors. You can find some plant to be either green or brown. Despite their different colors, these plants give the same end-product.

Eucheuma seaweed has no roots but some of its branches can attach to corals and grow. Even though seaweed grows in all directions, most of its branches grow up toward the sea surface. The branches can grow in many different forms depending where the seaweed is planted. Do not be surprised to see your seaweed looking different during the year.

How fast does seaweed grow ?

Seaweed grows better and faster all year around. Just to give an idea of how fast seaweed grows, imagine that the weight of your seaweed can become 10 times heavier in 6 to 8 weeks. In other words, if you have a 150 gram plant to start, after 6 to 8 weeks that plant will weigh about 1.5 kilograms.

                        Photo of a seaweed seed and of a mature plant after 8 weeks growth.

How does Eucheuma seaweed reproduce?

In the seas where seaweed grows naturally, waves and strong currents occasionally break seaweed branches. These branches, drift away and eventually settle between corals or on sandy sea bottoms. Here, they anchor and start to grow again. A new seaweed patch has been formed.