Establishing regenerative seaweed farming at scale
Greenwave Aotearoa has proven ourselves over a three-year pilot as uniquely positioned to lead the sustainable growth of Aotearoa New Zealand’s seaweed industry. Leveraging the knowledge, experience and financial backing gained over this period and previous years of dedicated focus on the seaweed aquaculture industry, we are primed to lead a high value seaweed sector that brings multiple spinoffs to other New Zealand industries.
Greenwave Aotearoa is paving the way for New Zealand’s regenerative ocean farming sector using the native brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata as a fundamental crop
The regenerative ocean farming model involves the co-cultivation of compatible zero-input marine species like mussels and seaweed that will create additional revenue streams for farmers while generating positive environmental outcomes before the crop is harvested. At the heart of this approach are profitable independent local marine farmers that build economic and social resilience for coastal communities.
We are building the knowledge, skills and opportunities to establish an end-to-end supply chain, provide quality seaweed seedling via a commercial hatchery, and pathways to higher value markets in seaweed products.
Hear from our team at Greenwave Aotearoa.
timeline
Follow our growth
2026 has been a big year for Greenwave Aotearoa and our team is excited for what lies ahead. See below for a few highlights over the past three years since our establishment of Greenwave Aotearoa.
June-July 2026
First custom-built and installed commercial seaweed farm using Arctic Seaweed infrastructure, in Rakiura (Stewart Island) with Zane Smith. Macrocystis pyrifera outplanted.
March 2026
Greenwave Aotearoa was awarded $50,000 in BioSouth R&D services, winning the Synthetic Materials & Food Products category at the BioChallenge Awards. This support helps us accelerate what we believe is a major opportunity:
unlocking the bioactive value of kelp biomass.
February/March 2026
Kura Te Au / Tory Channel
Our first 2026 seeding is underway, continuing to build capability in one of our key farming regions. Behind all of this, our hatcheries at Sulphur Point and Kelly Tarlton’s are now fully operational, producing Macrocystis and Ecklonia spools to support deployments across multiple sites. This is a critical shift. It’s what allows us to move from concept to repeatable production.
December 2025
First Commercial harvest of Ecklonia radiata from Hauraki Gulf (Coromandel site). In 2026, operations continue, with a focus on maintaining production and supporting wider restoration outcomes beyond the farm and in the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana via www.oranz.org
October 2025
Signed a Licence & Distribution Agreement with Arctic Seaweed (Norway), enabling joint exploration of manufacturing their innovative seaweed aquaculture systems here in NZ for deployment across Oceania and beyond.
Early to mid-2025
Greenwave Aotearoa founds AquaNZ commercial arm, developing bio-active-rich seaweed compounds using farmed species and advanced extraction processes for fully-integrated supply benefiting coastal communities and the environment.
Mid-2025
Purchased our first Arctic Seaweed infrastructure, from Flekkefjord, Norway to Bluff.
December 2024
Stage 3 and End of Pilot Project
Refine farming logistics and model assumptions at scale. Conduct structured trials for hatchery best practices and farming technique validation. Pilot Project Ended in December 2024.
October 2022
First outplanting at scale of hatchery grown Ecklonia radiata seaweed.
Stage 2:
Optimise hatchery conditions, outplanting logistics and best time to outplant. Involved hatchery production of seaweed, testing seasonality of deployments, testing line types, monitoring yield and tissue uptake of nutrients, and environmental benefits.
August 2021 - mid 2022
Stage 1:
Establish the best farm line configuration. Involved translocating over 200 wild seaweed plants onto horizontal and vertical lines.
Early - mid 2020
Developed a detailed investment case to support the establishment of regenerative ocean farming in New Zealand. The investment case also identified that a multi-year pilot to confirm productivity (and therefore financial viability) of seaweed farming was a required first step.
Secured funding and partnerships to implement the pilot.
Mid 2020 - mid 2021
Mid-late 2019
Feasibility study exploring whether the GreenWave model could work in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Early 2019
EnviroStrat connected with GreenWave and started a discussion about how to adapt its model for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Greenwave Aotearoa outplanting of Ecklonia radiata seaweed.
Work highlights
Greenwave Aotearoa adapted seaweed farming best practice for Aotearoa New Zealand’s local species and conditions.
Our work spans hatchery and seeding protocols and spool supply, farm designs and installations, harvesting and post-harvesting logistics, and product innovation and supply for B2B markets.
Hatchery
We have two hatchery operations, one in Tauranga run by the University of Waikato and the other at SEALIFE Kelly Tarlton’s in Auckland. We are growing seaweed using different seeding methods and developed standardised hatchery protocols to consistently produce densely seeded spools and successfully maintain these in the hatchery until the point of outplanting.
Pathways to Nature Finance
We are developing a Regenerative Ocean Fund which will report on environmental and social impacts and provide a pathway for philanthropic, seed and investment funding to go towards blue economy development.
Impact Framework
We've collaborated with our Iwi partners to create an impact framework that integrates Matauranga (Māori knowledge). Our mission is to not only revolutionize seaweed supply chains in Aotearoa New Zealand but also to maximize the positive effects of regenerative ocean farming (environmental, social, economic, and cultural) along the entire value chain.
On-Farm
Our seaweed farms are on existing consented aquaculture farm sites, Esk Point, Pōnui and Wilson’s Bay, in the Hauraki Gulf, at Tory Channel (Kura Te Au) in the Marlborough Sounds and in Rakiura, in Southland. We are growing Ecklonia radiata, Macrocystis pyrifera, and Lessonia variegata at our various farming locations throughout New Zealand.
Community Outreach
We are integrating community outreach into our work with education, field trips, engagement with iwi and tamariki, fundraising and sponsorship. Our work with Auckland Council’s Te Ara Tukutuku project includes marine restoration as part of their vision for a thriving foreshore on the waterfront, with artificial reef designs and seaweed grown in our hatchery supporting intertidal life, reconnecting the land to the sea.
Farmer Support Network
We are dedicated to supporting seaweed farmers. Through our partnership with GreenWave in the USA, farmers will be able to access their comprehensive online community. We are also exploring innovative financial support pathways to help farmers sustain their livelihoods through seaweed cultivation.