Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
Investigating the Effectiveness of Three Different Growing Methods for Seamoss Farming in Saint Lucia
Makeba B. Felix
Fisheries Biologist Department of Fisheries, Castries, Saint Lucia
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
Seamoss is a common marine macroalgae found globally, that has been cultivated in Saint Lucia for decades. Recently, seamoss production in Saint Lucia has increased significantly, fueled by increased global demand. This is reflected in the price increase of seamoss after 2019 when more people joined the sector owing to job loss on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased production of seamoss has been beneficial to the economic sector in Saint Lucia and may have contributed to the country’s coastal blue carbon store. Increased loss of planting material occasioned by unfavourable weather and sea conditions influenced an investigation into determining the most effective growing methods for seamoss farming in Saint Lucia. Test plots were set established at various locations using three growing methods, namely: a biodegradable tube net, a plastic tube net, and the traditional plastic monoline. The rate of growth of the seamoss and the substrate material’s durability were monitored and compared across the three growing methods. The traditional monoline method proved to be effective as it allowed for the continued growth of the propagule, by promoting the free movement of nutrients and sediments off the plants. However, the plastic tube net, was the most successful growing method since it retained the most propagules during periods of rough seas and had the highest overall growth rate.
HOW TO CITE: Felix, M.B., 2026. Different Growing Methods for Seamoss Farming in Saint Lucia. Contribution 5.4, p347-358 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=928
POWERPOINT
VIDEO PRESENTATION
FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION
Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:
Proceedings of the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference
KEY LINKS
Scientific Conference Home Page
Scientific Conference Proceedings Page
Explore all 20th Anniversary Scientific Papers
NOTE
If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
