Mussels are prolific broadcast spawners and the free swimming larva are abundant in the plankton at certain times of the year. Juvenile mussels or “seed” can be collected from the wild with ropes or other substrates that attract settlement of mussel larvae. Seed for the project and for commercial operations has been collected on ropes suspended from the offshore longlines and from the netting of the fish cages. Research has demonstrated that with the proper timing, location, and collection materials, wild seed collection is a reliable source of juvenile mussels.