Saccharina latissima
Illustration of Sugar kelp courtesy of the National Seaweed Hub
Farmed
Gear
Suspended Longline Culture
Location(s)
WA

Sugar kelp is a brown seaweed farmed in Asia, Europe, and increasingly in North America. It ranges in color from yellow to greenish-brown and has long, narrow blades. Sugar kelp grows rapidly, going from seed to 16 feet in length over a six-month winter/spring growing season.

Overall availability

Sugar kelp is grown in Washington. The season for fresh kelp is extremely short, but dried, frozen and other products can be purchased year-round. The blades, or leaves, of sugar kelp is most typically consumed in flakes or powders and in manufactured foods like noodles and burgers. 

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

 

Management

Sugar kelp is grown on longline farm systems. Sugar kelp is native to Washington. Spores are collected from local wild plants to begin cultivation. Commercial kelp cultivation in Washington is managed by federal agencies (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Washington Department of Natural Resources. Learn more about sugar kelp at Sea Grant’s National Seaweed Hub website. Learn more about kelp harvest methods at Maine Sea Grant’s website.