Seaweeds are marine organisms that have specific environmental requirements in order to live and grow well. The more appropriate environmental conditions the waters of the better growth and the better the results obtained. Seaweed will grow better than a certain depth which still gets good sunlight intensity, because sunlight is an important factor for the growth of seaweed.
At a depth that is not affordable solar light, the sea grass can not grow. Similarly, climate, geographical location and oceanographic factors will determine the growth of seaweed.
Figure 14. Activities sampling seaweed growth
Msuya and Sulon (2006) in his research states that the growth of seaweed is highly variable and influenced by the season, when high rainfall showed lower growth than when rainfall is low or summer. High nutrient levels affect the high growth of Eucheuma denticulatum but does not affect the Kappaphicus alvarezii.
The density of seedlings when planting seaweed is one of the factors that also affect the growth of seaweed. Density of seaweed seedlings when planting will affect the extent of seaweed thallus exposed to sunlight, thus indirectly influenced the photosynthesis process that supports the growth of seaweed. Sulistijo (1994) reported that the growth of seaweed correlated with the content of karaginannya, where the current high growth carrageenan content decreased.
This is due to karean Kappaphycus and Eucheuma has 2 phases of the life cycle that is the phase of vegetative and generative. In the vegetative phase, the energy is distributed to the growth and formation of carrageenan. Then proceed with the generative phase in which the energy for the manufacture of carrageenan reduced to a generative process that implies declining while growth continues to run until it reaches its maximum.