Seaweed farms are like underwater gardens where people grow seaweed. Long ropes or nets are secured in the water, and tiny pieces of seaweed are attached to them. Over time, the seaweed grows bigger as it soaks up sunlight, nutrients, and carbon dioxide from the water.

Seaweed farms can be found in oceans all around the world. Some are built near the coast, while others are in deeper water.

Rows of seaweed growing in clear, shallow water. The sunlight shines brightly, making the seaweed and sandy bottom visible. This shows how seaweed is farmed near the shore.
“Seaweed Farm in Paje lagoon” by mattk1979 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
An underwater seaweed farm with rows of seaweed growing on ropes stretched between poles. The ropes are covered in seaweed, and the water appears deep and calm.
“Eucheuma farming, Philippines” by Derek Keats is
licensed under CC BY 2.0.

THINK, PAIR, SHARE

Why do you think growing seaweed might be more sustainable than farming crops on land?