Kelp Lifecycle: From Wild Growth to Hatchery Cultivation

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Kelps lifecycle can change based on environmental and growth conditions

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in the wild and on farms. Kelp goes through its natural lifecycle,

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including the release of spores and fertilization in a hatchery setting.

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These natural conditions are replicated and controlled to encourage reproduction

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and optimize growth. All kelps, regardless of environment,

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have a unique biphasic lifecycle and means of reproduction,

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meaning they pass through two distinct life stages, a gametophyte phase,

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and a spora fight phase.

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Let’s move through these stages to understand the basic lifecycle of kelp.

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The kelp lifecycle begins when an adult kelp blade develops reproductive sous

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tissue. A raised dark brown stripe down the center of a mature blade.

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This typically happens in the spring and fall. Zo spores,

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small flagellated cells are released from the speria to farm

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kelp.

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We collect sous tissue from the wild and control the release of its spores.

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In a lab environment,

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the Zo spores develop into male and female GA totes,

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which are microscopic branching cells.

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Once triggered by certain environmental conditions such as changing light and

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temperatures,

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male gato bytes produce sperm and female gato bytes produce eggs.

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The sperm fertilizes the egg, which forms a zygote.

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The zygote develops into an embryo.

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The embryo grows into a juvenile sporophyte for cells,

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which eventually becomes a mature kelp plant in the hatchery.

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These juvenile spora fights are grown on seed string,

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which is ultimately transferred to grow lines on a farm in the wild end.

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On farms mature kelp plants can produce millions of spores for reproduction.

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In just a few months time triggered by the right environmental conditions,

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the kelp develops sous tissue and releases its spores into the water,

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which settle and develop into gato bytes,

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and then the cycle starts all over again.

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Traditionally,

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the cultivation of kelp seed string in a hatchery setting is dictated by kelps

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natural lifecycle. In the fall,

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science divers collect reproductive source tissue from wild kelp beds and bring

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it to a lab.

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There the source tissue is cleaned to remove contamination that could outcompete

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the juvenile kelp processed and exposed to specific conditions that

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stimulate the release of Zo spores.

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These spores are collected in a concentrated spore solution where the density of

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spores is carefully calculated using a microscope and precise volume

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measurements.

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Soon after spools of tightly wound twine are submerged in the spore rich

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liquid at the appropriate density where the Zo spores eventually settle and

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attach to the twine. After 24 hours,

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the spools are exposed to optimal light and nutrients that encourage them to

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grow.

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They’re typically held in tanks under these optimal conditions for four to six

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weeks until they’re ready to be transferred onto grow lines on the farm.

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In recent years, a new,

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more highly controlled form of seed drink cultivation has been used to propagate

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kelp.

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Gametophyte culture begins the same way as traditional seed drink culture with

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sous tissue being collected from reproductive kelp blades in the wild,

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but instead of exposing these spores directly to seed string to begin the grow

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out process,

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cultures are created by putting the spores into a container filled with

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pasteurized seawater and nutrients where they develop into the next stage of

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life. GTEs. During this process,

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it is critical that the containers are stored under red light.

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The red light prevents the GTEs from becoming reproductive and developing into

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spora fights the life stage that is out planted on the farm.

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During this time,

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GTEs grow vegetatively and the biomass of the culture increases impacting the

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amount of seed stringing it can one day produce.

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GTEs can be held in a lab setting like this for years.

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This means the hatchery operator has more control over the timing of seeding,

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allowing the hatchery operator to initiate seed production based on the optimal

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out planting window, improving yields,

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and making the farming calendar more predictable.

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This method of cultivation also has the potential to transfer GTEs,

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and in some cases,

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juvenile spora fights directly to the grow line through a process called direct

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seeding, which skips the seed stringing step altogether.

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Additionally,

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gatot seed stringing cultivation reduces collection pressure on wild kelp beds,

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allowing them to thrive in their natural environment.

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Whether kelp develops in the wild or in a hatchery,

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its lifecycle is the beginning of so many possibilities.