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Undaria pinnatifida harvest underway

Diver Collecting Seaweed Cropped_2

Undaria pinnatifida is a brown seaweed native to Japan. It was introduced to the Southern Hemisphere approximately 40 years ago. Marinova monitors the growth of Undaria seaweed and continues to sustainably harvest wild Undaria from the pristine ocean waters of Tasmania, Australia, and Patagonia, Argentina. Marinova’s harvest sites are located well away from any sources of human, agricultural or industrial contamination.

Undaria typically inhabits coastal waters down to depths of approximately 20 metres. It is typically found in sheltered reef areas with conditions such as temperature, available nutrients, light and depth all being important variables in the life cycle of the seaweed. Sporophylls produce up to 100 million spores which then settle and grow into new individuals. Undaria can reach approximately 2m in length in less than one year and growth rates can be up to 1cm per day – making the species a rapidly renewable marine resource.

Undaria harvesting is currently underway in Tasmania. The process involves a team of professional divers hand-harvesting the seaweed at the peak of its growth cycle. Each seaweed is inspected for any foreign objects, such as shells and crustaceans, before the Undaria spore (known as mekabu) is separated from the blade (known as wakame). The fresh seaweed is hung on racks and sun-dried to preserve its valuable bioactive compounds, such as fucoidan. Dried Undaria is then ready to undergo Marinova's proprietary fucoidan extraction process. 

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