Brittany, France

Brittany is one of the best-known places to find macro-algae. Its dense maritime traffic has certainly brought numerous species via the ballast water of ships, but above all it harbors ideal conditions: strong currents (ocean currents and tidal currents), very extensive intertidal zones (due to high tidal coefficients) and temperate water make it the ideal region for the development of macro algae.

The main species harvested are kelp (Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria digitata, which alone account for 35,000 tonnes a year), but other species such as Pelvetia canaliculata, Mastocarpus stellatus and Chondrus crispus are also exploited, in smaller quantities, for the cosmetics industry.