From Tradition to Shaping a Blue-Economy Future: History of St Lucia Pioneering Sea Moss Farming
- Monica Gonzalez
- Aug 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 2, 2025
This blog is a brief history of St Lucia sea moss farming and how it pioneered a new economy for the island.
If you’ve ever sipped on a chilled St. Lucian sea moss drink, seen it on social media, or even whipped up our See Mos gel at home, you’re tasting a story that stretches from hand-gathered sea moss on shallow reefs to today’s community-run farms strung like gardens beneath the waves. Here’s how sea moss moved from shoreline tradition to a pillar of St. Lucia’s blue economy (a term used for ocean-based markets).
Before the Hype: A Rich Tradition
For generations, coastal families across the Caribbean gathered red seaweeds—especially Gracilaria—from nearshore reefs. They used these to make puddings and nourishing drinks like Peanut Punch. In St. Lucia, villages such as Laborie recall a lively trade in dried “sea moss.” Harvesters would free-dive and dry their catch on the beach. However, by the 1970s, wild stocks on many islands were showing strain from overharvesting and changing coastal conditions.
Planting Gardens in the Sea
By the 1980s, wild supplies tightened. St. Lucia became a regional test bed for artisanal seaweed mariculture or aquaculture. This was the Caribbean’s first widely adopted example of community-scale ocean farming. Early work focused on cultivating fast-growing Gracilaria in sheltered bays, supported by government, community groups, and researchers. This shift marked a turning point. Instead of relying on dwindling wild beds, families could now farm sea moss in the sea itself.
A New Species, Eucheuma cottonii, Enters the Chat 🥳
Early Gracilaria farms taught crucial lessons. In calm inshore water, Gracilaria plots became vulnerable to epiphytes (fouling algae). These trapped silt and reduced gel quality. Farmers and partners responded by adapting site selection to more wave-flushed locations and trialing species that resist fouling. One important addition was Eucheuma (often sold as Eucheuma cottonii). Its smooth surface sheds epiphytes and delivers strong gelling carrageenan—ideal for consistent, premium gel. These refinements helped farms spread along the southeast and east coasts.
Global Demand: Better Practices and a Broader Caribbean Wave
As international interest in sea moss surged, St. Lucia’s know-how rippled across the region. New best-practice guidelines now emphasize farm siting, seed selection, water quality, wildlife-friendly gear, and waste reduction. This ensures growth doesn’t come at the expense of coastal ecosystems. The FAO and regional bodies also highlight the role of Eucheuma cottonii for reliable yields, with St. Lucia often cited as a success story. Sector data show that seaweed farming across Latin America and the Caribbean grew by approximately 66% between 2013 and 2023, confirming a broader blue-economy trend that St. Lucia helped pioneer.
What Makes St. Lucian Sea Moss Distinct?
So many ask what makes St. Lucian sea moss distinct. Here’s how:
Place: Atlantic-flushed bays on the east and southeast coasts offer the movement and clarity farms need for clean, strong gels. National Geographic recently spotlighted these buoy-lined farm gardens just below the surface. National Geographic
Practice: Decades of hands-on refinement—when to seed, how to prune, how long to grow between harvests, and how to dry—produce consistent quality. Historic FAO notes show Caribbean farmers typically let plants regrow for about three months between harvests for optimal biomass. FAOHome
People: Community groups and family farms remain at the core, with an increasing share of women leading farms and processing enterprises as global demand expands.
Sustainability at the Core of Sea Moss Practices!
St. Lucia’s sea moss story is, at heart, a stewardship story. It moves from pressure on wild stocks toward managed farming that supports livelihoods without degrading reefs. Today’s best practices in the Caribbean stress siting away from coral and seagrass beds, using wildlife-safe lines and anchors, routine gear maintenance to prevent marine debris, and clean, traceable post-harvest handling for food-grade products. These are the standards See Mos champions to keep our waters healthy and our gel reliably pure.
There is so much rich culture and history in the St. Lucian sea moss industry. This story often gets overlooked for practices that take away from ecosystems and communities. When selecting your sea moss, make sure you support companies that you can trust—those truly committed to uplifting both the planet and people.
We are proud to bring you this tradition as a source of daily nutrition! ❤️
Join Us in Celebrating Sea Moss!
Have you seen A Day in the Life of a Sea Moss Farmer? Check it out!
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