Land farmers have a wide range of crops that they can choose from. They can decide which plants best suit their land and give the best returns. Not so for seaweed farmers in tropical countries.

Little has be done to identify seaweed varieties that are stronger or faster growing. There are no shops to buy seedlings from if a storm or disease wipes out your crops.

By using seedlings, farmers can have security and higher returns. Through research, we can find seaweed varieties that perform better.