I have lived on the Mendocino Coast since 1981. I began harvesting edible seaweeds with the Lewallens of Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company, and then Betsy Holiday and Victor Marin of Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company.
I still hand harvest - as do all seaweed harvesters on the North Coast, wildcrafting sea vegetables on the Mendocino Coast in the summer and package them all winter.
I still harvest edible California North Coast seaweeds for Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company now owned by Terry d'Selkie.
http://ohsv.net/