The Challenge: When the Environment Drives Production

Seaweed farming relies only on light and nutrients, so performance depends heavily on environmental conditions. In the two regions studied, Sainte-Marie and Baie des Assassins, farmers face:

Strong ecological hazards, such as wind bursts, shifting currents and turbidity
Seasonal variations in solar radiation, temperature, oxygen and rainfall

BiOceanOr studies these dynamics and their impact on production at farm scale, in real in-situ conditions rather than under controlled protocols. This is a pioneering R&D field, where research resources are usually scarce and reliable field data are especially valuable.

The Solution: Data-Driven R&D to Decode Production Performance

BiOceanOr deployed 16 environmental stations across the two zones, combining high-frequency environmental data with the farms’ rich production data, such as average weight by age. The approach aims to:

Redefine the baseline performance of the algae across sites, cycles and seasons
Identify and quantify which variables drive production, from solar radiation to temperature, dissolved oxygen and rainfall
Understand how to optimize farming throughout the year, according to seasons and local constraints

In the longer term, these insights are meant to feed into a tool that helps farmers anticipate their production.

A Multi-Partner Collaboration Rooted in Local Expertise

The project brings together producers NBS and OF, and Cargill funding the research. It is part of the SeaMo project, which also includes Nantes Université.

Local teams are closely involved on the ground, making this collaboration a true exchange of knowledge between field operations and BiOceanOr’s experts in:

Marine data science
Macroalgae biology
Oceanography
Aquaculture R&D

Where It Happens

The project covers two contrasting areas of Madagascar:

Sainte-Marie island, off the northeast coast, with 10 stations
Baie des Assassins, on the southwest coast, with 6 stations

Despite the distance, BiOceanOr works hand in hand with local teams, combining on-site missions and continuous remote monitoring.

Next Steps

Now at mid-project, with completion planned for the end of 2027, the work moves forward in three stages:

Done: a clearer picture of production dynamics, including growth profiles and site specificities, and a mapping of performance across bays
Next: correlating performance with environmental variables to pinpoint the key drivers
Then: giving farmers the keys to better manage their production and improve efficiency all year round

 

Project Highlights at a Glance