Courses / Introduction to Kelp Hatcheries

Course Content

What is a Kelp Hatchery?
Welcome Hatchery Basics
What Do Kelp Hatcheries Look Like?
Take a Tour of Different Kelp Hatcheries
What Is the Kelp Hatchery Timeline?
Short and Sweet
What Are the Permitting Requirements in My State?
Know Your Regulations
What Are Your Hatchery Goals?
Define Your Goals Location Production Goals
How Much Will This Cost?
Ballpark Numbers Create Your Own Budget Pricing Structure and Sales Strategy!
Resources & Tools
Kelp Hatchery Forum
Kelp Nursery Budget Calculator
Download file
Small Kelp Nursery Equipment Price List
Download file
Lesson 6 How Much Will This Cost?

Back to: Introduction to Kelp Hatcheries

Ballpark Numbers

Starting a business takes an investment of upfront capital. But just as no two hatcheries are the same, no two startup hatchery budgets will be the same either. The startup costs for your hatchery should be based on the goals you outlined in the previous section. To give you a sense of some ballpark numbers for what early investment in your hatchery could look like, we’ve created three different hatchery setup budgets with ranging startup costs.

Know the startup expenses before committing to a hatchery project. Photo Credit: Allegra Anderson Photography

These three different scenarios include:

  1. Small Commercial Hatchery: A small scale hatchery that can produce 9,600’ of seed string

  2. Small Kelp Hatchery Add-On to a Shellfish Facility:  A small scale hatchery that can produce 9,600’ of seed string but already has most of the infrastructure in place

  3. Personal Hatchery: A simple two-tank setup to produce 3,600’ of seed string

GreenWave Resource
Hatchery Budget Scenarios
View Resource