TAKO

Technology for Monitoring Biomass in Commercial Seaweed Farming

Along the West Coast of Sweden, seaweed is increasingly being cultivated for use as food, feed, and sustainable materials. However, growers lack reliable ways to know how much seaweed is growing and when it should be harvested. This project develops and evaluates four new techniques—using sensors, drones, and AI—to make biomass measurement simpler, faster, and more reliable.

Swedish seaweed farming is expanding rapidly and has great potential as a sustainable raw material for food, feed, and biomaterials. Today, growers lack simple and dependable ways to assess seaweed growth and optimal harvest time. The project therefore develops and evaluates four new methods for automatically measuring biomass: underwater sensors, orthophotos, green LiDAR, and underwater acoustics, combined with AI.

The aim is to provide growers with better tools and to identify which methods are suitable for commercial use, enabling more efficient, scalable, and competitive Swedish seaweed production.

The tests are carried out at Nordic SeaFarm’s cultivation site on the West Coast and conducted in close collaboration between IVL, which leads the method development and analysis, and partner companies with expertise in underwater sensors and drone technology.

The project contributes to environmental benefits by reducing the need for manual transport and strengthening the production of seaweed—a resource that sequesters carbon and improves marine ecosystems. It aligns with the global goals for climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), sustainable production (SDG 12), and innovation (SDG 9).

Co-funded by the European Union