Atlantic subtropical seaweed is making waves among scientists who are exploring its potential for economic and environmental benefits for the Sunshine State.
The University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant have secured a $250,000 grant from NOAA to investigate seaweed aquaculture cultivated from Florida’s tropical waters. This three-year research project aims to kickstart a new industry that could boost Florida’s economy while benefiting its environment and coastal communities.
The findings could pave the way for a thriving seaweed farming industry much like it serves as a high value crop in regions in Europe and the Americas.
“Florida’s aquaculture industry is primed for this opportunity,” said Ashley Smyth, principal investigator for the project and an assistant professor of soil, water, and ecosystem sciences at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center. “We have an aquaculture industry with the skills and knowledge to cultivate seaweed. The goal is to see if tropical seaweeds in Atlantic waters can serve to boost a new industry.”
Seaweed aquaculture, also known as the cultivation of seaweeds, has room for expansion into other regions to meet demands for food security, nutritional supplements, animal feed, cosmetics, biofuels and much more.
“While much of the current global seaweed farming that consumers can relate to focuses on kelp and nori, which cannot thrive in Florida’s warm waters, this research will explore subtropical seaweeds that thrive in our warm waters,” said Dail Laughinghouse, associate professor of applied phycology at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center and a co-principal investigator on the project.
Kelp and nori are species of seaweed from cold waters that serve as key ingredients in sushi, powdered supplements, sauces, salads and seasoning. Our waters have different seaweed species.
“That is where most of our knowledge and background for seaweed aquaculture has come from, but Florida’s waters are nowhere near that cold and have different species,” said Smyth. “This is an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at the potential for a sustainable industry and look for new species to cultivate that might have high-value products.”
With this grant, researchers will explore a variety of tropical seaweeds.
“Seaweed as an additional revenue stream for the marine aquaculture industry has the potential to support existing working waterfronts by adding a new, value-added product,” said Angela Collins, Florida Sea Grant assistant Extension scientist specializing in marine fisheries and shellfish aquaculture at the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Lab.
As part of the Extension efforts of the project, the team will work with relevant parties and markets to encourage commerce.
Research objectives include:
- Develop scalable seaweed farming methods.
- Identify the best local seaweed species for cultivation.
- Understand market demand.
- Explore potential commercial uses for these seaweeds both in Florida and beyond.
- Calculate the costs and potential profits of farming seaweed while working with an active Florida seaweed farm.
- Assess how seaweed can help clean waterways by absorbing excess nutrients, also known as the process of bioremediation.
The NOAA project stems from an innovative research study previously funded by a UF/IFAS grant program designed to build new collaborations and partnerships between researchers and industry, including shellfish farmers seeking diversification opportunities. The continuation of this endeavor will expand a UF/IFAS collaboration with Two Docks Shellfish, an aquaculture shellfish producer based in Tampa, to grow seaweed, said Smyth who also led the initial study.
“Diversification of economically viable farmable products can increase the aquaculture industry’s resilience to withstand perturbations and increase the overall economic impact of aquaculture in Florida,” added Collins.
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by Lourdes Mederos, rodriguezl@ufl.edu
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
ABOUT FLORIDA SEA GRANT
The Florida Sea Grant program, hosted at UF/IFAS, is a university-based program that supports research, education and Extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic opportunities for the people of Florida. In addition to UF/IFAS, the program is a partnership between Florida universities, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and county governments.
flseagrant.org | @FloridaSeaGrant
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