On the coast of **Puerto San Julián**, an innovative project with algae is advancing, aiming to reconnect science, sea, and coastal communities: the experimental seeding of **Macrocystis pyrifera**, [known as **cachiyuyo**](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/alga-cachiyuyo-el-sorprendente-bosque-submarino-que-respira-bajo-las-aguas-de-chubut/).
For the first time in **Santa Cruz**, a **laboratory-initiated cultivation** has been taken to the sea to analyze its development in **natural conditions**.
### Success in the first phase of algae seeding
**Biologist Milagros Schiebelbein**, from the **Fundación Por el Mar (PEM)**, celebrated the initial results: *”We had a super successful algae cultivation that motivated us to continue. The most important thing is that they reached the necessary size to go into the sea,”* she explained.
The project is still in a **pilot phase**, with the aim to:
– Evaluate the technical feasibility of the cultivation.
– Measure its [impact on the marine ecosystem](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/estudian-en-chubut-a-tres-especies-clave-para-el-ecosistema-marino-del-pais/).
– Explore sustainable productive uses, such as soil bio-stimulants and food pellets for sheep.
### How is cachiyuyo cultivated in the laboratory
The tests combine **applied science, artisanal management, and circular use of materials**.
#### The process includes:
1. **Collection of reproductive blades** in the sea.
2. **Cleaning and controlled stress**, to obtain spores.
3. **Cultivation in filtered seawater**, where the spores adhere to a thread wound on a PVC tube.
4. **Development for nine weeks**, until reaching the ideal size to be transferred to the sea.
Algae do not reproduce by cuttings like terrestrial plants, but through **microscopic spores**, which barely exceed **three millimeters** in their initial stage before transforming into giant specimens.
### Assessment in the sea: a crucial step
With the cultivation **transferred to the water**, the **PEM** team monitors its evolution daily.
The goal is to analyze:
– If the algae manage to adhere correctly.
– Their growth capacity in the marine environment.
– Which seeding models work best for future expansions.
### Environmental impact and ocean regeneration
This work is part of the action line of the **Fundación Por el Mar**, which promotes **sustainable solutions** in **Argentine Patagonia**.
The success in **San Julián** reinforces the possibility of developing a **model of environmental regeneration**, where communities and oceans collaborate in **ecological restoration**.
