Cultivating Palmaria palmata - Bord Iascaigh Mhara

Chapter 4: Cultivation of Palmaria palmata – nursery stage
The procedure for obtaining spores of Palmaria and cultivating sporelings in the hatchery until deployment at sea
involves four major steps which are described in detail below. Two processes are crucial for successfully growing
Palmaria on culture string: the selection of clean fertile algal material, and setting the right conditions for spore
release and the survival of spores during the first two weeks. The flow-chart gives an overview of the major steps
involved and a time frame.
Collection of fertile Palmaria from
the shore
(Day 1)
Processing freshly collected algal
material (screening and selection of
fertile parts)
(Day 1)
Spore release and settlement on
culture string
(Day 1-3)
Culture and maintenance of
Palmaria-seeded collectors
(4 - 9 months depending on time of
deployment)
25