Seaweed Commons - Seaweed Knowledge for Coastal Communities

WHAT WE DO

As seaweed becomes an increasingly valuable resource for a wide variety of culinary, industrial, and cosmetic applications, its role in the public trust and the marine environment are emergent and subject to industrial exploitation.

Seaweed Commons seeks to form ecological seaweed coalitions, support and inform public discourse, increase algal literacy, and advocate for appropriately scaled, just seaweed economies. Our methods are based in systems theory and conservation biology, and are grounded in the principles of ecosystem-based management of community fisheries.

Our Network

Our Position

Our Projects

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Join us for an upcoming event:

June 8, 2022: Seaweed Commons and Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance Webinar. Stay tuned for the link!
Sept. 8, 2022: Seagriculture USA Conference - Seaweed Commons panel "A Right Sized Seaweed Economy"
Sept. 12-13: Oxford Real Organic Conference - Seaweed Commons on the use of algae in organic farming

The latest from our blog...

Story Map: A visual of sea gardens and indigenous aquaculture across the pacific

The Sea Gardens Across the Pacific story map shows the importance of revitalizing Indigenous mariculture practices. See the interactive, “living” story map at www.seagardens.net "Indigenous People have been stewarding the ocean for thousands of years. This stewardship has appeared in many different forms around the world, ...
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4/28 Slow Fish Webinar on the AQUAA Act

https://slowfoodusa.org/event/open-the-floodgates-diving-into-the-aquaa-act/

In collaboration with One Fish Foundation, Slow Fish (of Slow Food USA) is presenting a virtual panel on the AQUAA Act that is pending approval in Congress. Among the panelists is Seaweed Commons' founder Severine Fleming.

"Some of the biggest industrial seafood companies in the world claim the Advancing the Quality of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act would provide more “sustainable” domestic seafood to more Americans.

Alaska Seaweed Start Up Training Webinar

Alaska Sea Grant hosted a two-hour introductory webinar, held February 2, 2021, as part of the 2021 Seaweed Farm Start-up Training Program for Alaska residents interested in starting their own seaweed farm in Alaska. The series was targeted towards commercial fishermen, Alaska Natives,

Seaweed Handling and Processing: Guidelines for Alaska

https://www.afdf.org/wp-content/uploads/MAB-81PDF-Seaweed-Handling-and-Processing-Guidelines-for-Alaska.pdf

Authors Melissa Good, Chris Sannito, and Lexa Meyer of Alaska Sea Grant - University of Alaska Fairbanks' Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center wrote a comprehensive guide for seaweed use in Alaska: Seaweed Handling and Processing Guidelines for Alaska.

Bio4Climate: Giant Kelp as Feature Creature

Bio4Climate's Featured Creature this week is the illustrious Giant Kelp. Their article featured this 7-minute documentary (voiced by David Attenborough) about the biological and climate regulating role of kelp forests and the observable decline of these forests along the Scottish coast. To address this decline,

NROC AQUACULTURE WEBINAR SERIES | April 5 and April 8, 2022

The Northeast Regional Ocean Council is hosting a webinar series on aquaculture in New England Federal Waters including regulation, public engagement, and interjurisdictional coordination.

View the agenda draft here: NROC Aquaculture Webinar series agenda

WEBINAR 1 | April 5,

The Economist - Offshore seaweed farms and climate change

"Floating offshore farms should increase production of seaweed"

The Economist - 09/30/2021

This is the type of industrial growth the Seaweed Commons community is concerned about, despite being cloaked in the language of climate change mitigation.

"In many places where seaweed used to thrive,

Civil Eats on the "Virtuous Vegetable", Atlantic Sea Farms, and scaling up seaweed

"Can Small Seaweed Farms Help Kelp Scale Up?"

Lynn Fantom, Civil Eats - 03/16/2022

Fantom's article explores how companies are capitalizing on US consumers' small, but expanding awareness and demand for seaweed products.

Touching on its capacity as a carbon sink,

Long Island chefs want Long Island kelp

"How the emergence of kelp is capturing carbon, fertilizing fields and tickling the fancy of North Fork chefs"

Charity Robey, The Northforker - 02/25/2022

Long Island chefs are starting to seek out sources for local kelp, and nearby oyster farmers see this as a way to diversify their crop,

Slow Fish 2021 online panel recording

Seaweed Industry or Seaweed Commons Panel

Many moons ago, we posted about the Slow Fish 2021 conference hosted by Slow Food last July. Here's the recording of the "Seaweed Industry or Seaweed Commons" panel, moderated by Severine Von Tscharner Fleming and featuring our friend Amanda Swinimer from Dakini Tidal Wilds.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's "Seaweed Solutions" webinar

WHOI's weekly "Ocean Encounters" recently featured the future of kelp farming in food systems, animal feeds, fuels, and other innovations for a changing climate. Hosted by Veronique LaCapra, the "Seaweed Solutions" panel included an aquaculture scientist, kelp farmer, and TNC policy advocate.

Seagriculture 2021 Conference Recordings

Seagriculture is a European-based conference gathering speakers to present on the growing seaweed industry. The recordings from Seagriculture 2021's online version are linked above. Topics included growing seaweed for feed and food, offshore cultivation, biorefinery of seaweed and overall scaling-up of the seaweed industry.

We've got a few sessions included below,