Dr. Schery Umanzor at the University of Alaska is developing a nutrient extraction kit for kelp farmers that measures how many nutrients are absorbed from the water into the tissue of the kelp. The tool could soon be used for site evaluation to identify locations that are nutrient rich or nutrient limited. Learn more here.
Lesson 4
Environmental Suitability
Back to: Site Evaluation
Nutrients
Kelp needs nutrients to grow and has been shown to thrive in areas where coastal runoff deposits excess inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus into the water column. Ideally, a kelp farm should be sited in an area where nutrient supply is recurring and not dependent on terrestrial behaviors. The more flow and water movement at a site, the more likely the current will bring in new sources of nutrients and therefore increase nutrient uptake. In ideal conditions, sugar kelp needs 10 microns of Nitrate.
