Establishing regenerative seaweed farming at scale
At every step of our journey, we are driven by curiosity and a passion for innovation. We don’t just ask questions, we experiment, test and push the boundaries with seaweed trials. This dynamic process not only fuels our excitement but also helps us discover and authenticate the best practices. Our mission is crystal clear: to cultivate a thriving seed-to-sale commercial seaweed farming industry in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Greenwave Aotearoa is paving the way for New Zealand’s regenerative ocean farming sector using the native brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata as a fundamental crop
The regenerative ocean farming model involves the co-cultivation of compatible zero-input marine species like mussels and seaweed that will create additional revenue streams for farmers while generating positive environmental outcomes before the crop is harvested. At the heart of this approach are profitable independent local marine farmers that build economic and social resilience for coastal communities.
We are sharing our knowledge, skills and opportunities to establish an end-to-end supply chain, optimise hatchery production and productivity, and provide the proof of concept for farming native seaweed at scale in Aotearoa New Zealand.
timeline
Follow our growth
Mid 2023 - end 2024
Stage 3:
Refine farming logistics and model assumptions at scale. Involves structured trials for hatchery best practices and farming technique validation.
October 2022
First outplanting at scale of hatchery grown Ecklonia radiata seaweed.
Mid 2022 - mid 2023
Stage 2:
Optimise hatchery conditions, outplanting logistics and determine the best time to outplant. Involved hatchery production of seaweed, testing seasonality of deployments, testing line types, monitoring yield and tissue uptake of nutrients along with other environmental benefits.
August 2021 - mid 2022
Stage 1:
Establish the best farm line configuration. Involved translocating over 200 wild seaweed plants onto horizontal and vertical lines, as a result we learned we could use the mussel infrastructure.
Mid 2020 - mid 2021
Secured funding and partnerships to implement the pilot.
Early - mid 2020
Developed a detailed investment case to support the establishment of regenerative ocean farming in New Zealand. The investment case also identified that a multi-year pilot to confirm productivity (and therefore financial viability) of seaweed farming was a required first step.
Mid-late 2019
Feasibility study exploring whether the GreenWave model could work in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Early 2019
EnviroStrat connected with GreenWave and started a discussion about how to adapt its model for Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Join us as we grow seaweed to be a catalyst for economic, environmental,
social, and cultural benefits to local communities nationwide.
Our work programme
Greenwave Aotearoa is adapting seaweed farming best practice for Aotearoa New Zealand’s local species and conditions.
To achieve this, our work programme covers hatchery and seeding protocols, farm designs, and harvesting and post-harvesting logistics.
Hatchery
We have two hatchery operations, one in Tauranga run by the University of Waikato and the other in the Coromandel run by Premium Seas. We are testing different seeding methods and environmental conditions to identify optimal hatchery conditions. We are also developing standardised hatchery protocols to consistently produce densely seeded spools and successfully maintain these in the hatchery until the point of outplanting.
Pathways to Nature Finance
We are developing nature credit pathways which are a novel undertaking and will be key to securing finance for mobilising nature-based solutions. Nature credit pathways encompass Blue carbon, nutrient and biodiversity credits and subsidies. We are also developing a Regenerative ocean fund which will report on environmental and social impacts and provide a pathway for philanthropic, seed and investment funding to go towards blue economy development.
Impact Framework
We've collaborated with our Iwi partners to create an impact framework that integrates Matauranga (Māori knowledge). Our mission is to not only revolutionize seaweed supply chains in Aotearoa New Zealand but also to maximize the positive effects of regenerative ocean farming (environmental, social, economic, and cultural) along the entire value chain.
On-Farm
Outplanting is taking place on existing consented aquaculture farm sites, Esk Point, Pōnui and Wilson’s Bay, in the Hauraki Gulf. We are experimenting with the different elements of outplanting activity to continue to refine our on-farm practices, including introducing automation in the outplanting process.
We are considering the influence of different environmental factors, farm structures and growing substrates on growth rates and impacts of seaweed farming on nutrient uptake from the environment, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
Community Outreach
We highly value opportunities to meet with, share and learn from our community. We are increasingly integrating community outreach into our work programme. This includes opportunities for education programmes, field trips, engagement with iwi and tamariki, fundraising and sponsorship.
Farmer Support Network
We are dedicated to supporting seaweed farmers. In the future that will include comprehensive training manuals covering everything from site selection to farming techniques, and hands-on, personalised training to provide practical guidance. Through our partnership with GreenWave in the USA, farmers will be able to access their comprehensive online community. We are also exploring innovative financial support pathways to help farmers sustain their livelihoods through seaweed cultivation.