On the Seaweed Scene

by Catherine Schmitt


Nearly 120 people,
from as far north as Quebec
and as far south as
Washington, D.C., attended
the workshop.


So many people wanted to attend a recent workshop on seaweed in Maine that the organizers had to move the event to a larger venue.

The workshop, “Seaweed Scene 2012,” hosted by Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, quickly evolved from a simple report on the findings of a kelp aquaculture project to a mini-conference of everyone and anyone working with seaweed in Maine.

While the harvest of Atlantic seaweed has a long history, and several businesses have been selling wild seaweed for decades in Maine, the industry is often overshadowed by much larger commercial fisheries. Seaweed has been only a minor focus of aquaculture research and development in state waters. Until now.

With the nation’s first commercial kelp farm—Ocean Approved, located in Casco Bay—and federal and private investment in research and development, Maine is receiving increased attention as a potential leader in the creation of a modern seaweed industry. But why is there so much interest at this particular moment in time?

Maybe other species traditionally harvested in the Gulf of Maine have become so unprofitable that fishermen are looking for an alternative. Or maybe the ongoing revolution in Americans’ relationship with their food has stimulated more interested in the health benefits of seaweed.

Maybe we’ve so fished out the ocean that soon seaweed is all we’ll have left to eat. Maybe it’s a combination of all of these things, or none of them, but Maine’s seaweed scene is hot.

Nearly 120 people, from as far north as Quebec and as far south as Washington, D.C., attended the workshop at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast on August 30.

Dr. Charles Yarish of the University of Connecticut opened the meeting with a comprehensive overview. After decades of research, Yarish has found success in culturing multiple species of marine macroalgae. Challenges, remain however.

“To produce seaweed successfully, you have to culture it in a laboratory, which means getting wild plants to reproduce and grow,” said Yarish. “All seaweeds have life cycles, and the trick to seaweed aquaculture—or what I like to call marine agronomy—is to understand the biology of the crop you are growing.” But that is just the beginning. “Then you have to get the plants out of the lab and into the field, which means you need an aquaculture lease, which requires knowing something about the site conditions. Then, you have to harvest, process, and sell it.”

Yarish was careful to note that he only advocates culturing native species, and he recommended using seed stock from local waters.

In a video presentation, Marine Extension Team members Sarah Redmond, based at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin and Dana Morse, based at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center summarized the results of an experiment with growing kelp on mussel farms along the coast.

Their findings were mixed, with some very positive aspects but many questions remaining. Kelp grew better at some locations than at others. Ginny Olsen of Oceanville Seafood in Stonington, Maine, was one of the mussel farmers who participated in the project. “We’d probably try growing kelp again, but the marketing aspect is a big issue,” she said. “You want to be able to sell what you grow. We’re in the very early stages, and still experimenting, but the potential is huge.” A retailer and wholesaler, Olsen added that many customers, especially those from the West Coast, are really interested in local sea vegetables.

Not your hippie uncle’s seaweed

Competition from Asia is forcing Maine’s seaweed proponents to think beyond sushi.
“We will never be able to produce on the same scale as farms in Asia,” said Tollef Olson, founder of Portland, Me-based Ocean Approved. Some of the ways his company has accomplished this is by creating new products, like frozen, prepared kelp, and stuffed kelp stems. Wild harvesters have to cut kelp blades above the stem (really a “stipe”) so the plant will grow back, but aquaculture allows harvest of the whole plant. He also can harvest smaller plants that work well as wraps: a “skirted scallop” or “salmon roll-up.”

Maine seaweeds can be substituted for imported product, and thus appeal to desires for locally sourced food. Several presenters at the workshop pointed out that the majority of “seaweed salad” so popular in Maine sushi restaurants is imported seaweed that has been dried and reconstituted with added preservatives and chemical dyes.

No one has thought more about how to get more people eating seaweed than Sarah Redmond. She took workshop participants on a whirlwind slideshow tour of sea vegetable product opportunities: food, pet food, skin cream, spa vacations, nutritional supplements. She regularly scours the Internet and grocery stores for ideas. “What about a Maine ‘bento box’ of smoked mussels and fresh cooked kelp? It could be a lunchbox option akin to a tin of sardines. The key is to use the Maine brand. It is our source of power, and what distinguishes us from others.”

According to Charles Yarish, who was Redmond’s graduate school advisor at the University of Connecticut, seaweed aquaculture can help clean up water pollution. He has been growing a type of red seaweed where the East and Bronx rivers meet around New York City. “The low light and high nutrients are ideal conditions. We can use these techniques to take nutrients out of the water in urban areas where nitrogen is a problem,” he said. Yarish estimated that the 69,400 tons of Manhattan-grown seaweed, at 5% nitrogen content, equaled about $32 million in remediation value. While the resulting seaweed can’t be used for food, it could become fuel. “Ecosystem services is an application that represents a new opportunity,” said Yarish.

Maine harvesters, growers, and entrepreneurs have much work to do if they are going to access a larger slice of the $5 billion global seaweed market.

In the workshop’s concluding discussion, participants identified the need to increase demand by educating consumers of all ages on the nutritional value of sea vegetables. They want to better incorporate seaweed into Maine’s seafood and agricultural identity. Expanding the industry will require capital investment in harvesting and processing equipment and collaborative marketing. Acknowledging their shared interests, workshop participants agreed to continue to strengthen their network and collaborate. For more information, see www.seagrant.umaine.edu/seaweed.

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