The k elp farming industry in the U.S. is highly dependent on wild population collections for a source of meiospores . H arvesting reproductive plants from the wild can have a negative impact on these populations if not enough time and care is given for them to recuperate. As the kelp industry grows this impact will likely increase as well. Therefore, we are exploring alternate methodologies where gametophytes are vegetatively cultured and held in cold storage to seasonally produce seedstring. J uvenile Saccharina latissima sporophytes and gametophytes can be applied by spraying directly onto the seedstring or rope instead of the traditional meiospore settling techniques. This approach has the potential to reduce pressure on wild populations , reduce nursery time , space and cost requirements for hatcheries supporting kelp farming industries. Preliminary results from experimental plots show that the direct seeding technique can produce large quantities of adult sporophytes after a growing season in the Gulf of Maine. Further investigation on application methods will be required to increase effectiveness of this technique and provide opportunities to work with strains that result from selective breeding programs of kelp.