Gracilaria parvispora and Gracilaria pacifica
Illustration of Ogo (red) Seaweed courtesy of the National Seaweed Hub
Farmed
Gear
Tank Culture
Location(s)
CA
OR

Ogo is a red seaweed found along the West Coast from Alaska to southern California. It generally grows from one to two and a half feet tall with several slender branches arising from a central line. Like many red seaweeds, ogo tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions and is often found in bays, estuaries and shallow intertidal areas. 

Overall availability

Ogo is grown in California and Oregon. It is available year round, with peak availability in the summer when it grows rapidly with warmer seawater temperatures. Ogo is sold for use in poke bowls and other dishes and also boiled to produce agar, a thickening agent used in many foods.

activity wheel for ogo that depicts monthly activity levels (peak, low, closed)

 

Management

Ogo is farmed in land-based tanks. Commercial seaweed aquaculture is managed by a variety of agencies such as the state Departments of Fish and Wildlife or Natural Resources (CA, OR), the Army Corps of Engineers, local, state and federal Departments of Public Health, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Learn more about ogo at Sea Grant’s National Seaweed Hub website.