Reference
Sector glossary
Plain-language definitions of core seaweed sector terms, from species types to production methods and regulatory categories. A quick reference for students, educators, and anyone new to the sector.
- Animal feed
- Used as a mineral-rich supplement in cattle, poultry, and aquaculture feed. Growing interest in BC. Specific feed applications require CFIA approval.
- Brown seaweed
- A type of seaweed (brown algae) coloured by the pigment fucoxanthin. Includes kelp and rockweed. Typically larger and more structurally complex than red or green seaweeds.
- Cosmetics
- Source of alginate, fucoidan, and laminarin used as thickeners, emulsifiers, and bioactives in skincare and personal care formulations.
- Cultivated
- Grown on ocean farms using longline systems seeded in hatcheries. Requires a provincial aquaculture licence and federal DFO review in BC.
- Cultural uses
- Harvested and tended by coastal First Nations for food, medicine, and cultural practices for thousands of years. Use rights and stewardship protocols vary by Nation.
- Fertilizer
- Processed into liquid extracts or dried meal for use as a soil amendment and biostimulant. One of the fastest-growing market pathways in BC.
- Fertilizer / soil inputs
- Processed into liquid extracts or dried meal for use as a soil amendment and biostimulant. Includes seaweed-derived products sold under the Fertilizers Act (Canada).
- Green seaweed
- A type of seaweed (green algae) with chlorophyll as its dominant pigment. Includes sea lettuce. Common in intertidal zones and areas with elevated nutrients.
- Human food
- Sold fresh, dried, frozen, or as flakes and powder. Used in soups, seasonings, snacks, and salt-reduction products. Subject to CFIA food safety regulations.
- IMTA
- Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture. Seaweed grown alongside fish or shellfish to absorb excess nutrients, improving sustainability of the whole system.
- Innovation / materials
- Emerging non-food applications including bioplastics, packaging films, textiles, and biomaterials. Largely pre-commercial in BC but a focus of global R&D investment.
- Nutraceuticals
- Seaweed-derived compounds used in supplements and functional health products. Products sold as natural health products require a licence from Health Canada.
- Red seaweed
- A type of seaweed (red algae) pigmented by phycoerythrin. Includes dulse, nori, and Irish moss. Often found in deeper or warmer coastal waters than brown seaweeds.
- Restoration interest
- Species being explored for coastal restoration — including kelp bed recovery, carbon sequestration, and ocean acidification buffering. Active area of research in BC.
- Traditional / cultural use
- Many BC seaweed species have been harvested and tended by coastal First Nations for food, medicine, and cultural practices for thousands of years.
- Wild harvested
- Collected from natural populations under a provincial wild aquatic plant harvester licence. Commercial harvest requires an annual licence and harvest plan in BC.
Definitions reflect the Canadian seaweed sector context and are kept intentionally concise. Regulatory details vary by province and by Nation.