(Madagascar) Development of new techniques adapted to local environmental conditions for the farming of the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii

Fieldwork in Madagascar required.

Blue Ventures has recently launched a pilot seaweed farming project as a potential alternative livelihood for communities in Velondriake. However, there a number of constraining factors that will limit the development of this activity for the majority of villages in Velondriake. The traditional off-bottom culture method currently being used is restricted to areas that have hard, sandy bottoms with adequate depth to bury the stakes. The majority of coastal areas have a predominance of underlying rock which prevents the use of stakes. Other techniques such as longlines and broadcast farming are possible options that require exploring. Furthermore, the species being farmed Kappaphycus alvarezii is susceptible to a number of environmental factors, such as high water temperatures which should be taken into account.