"The goal is to see if tropical seaweeds in Atlantic waters can serve to boost a new industry," said principal researcher Ashley Smyth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
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Researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Florida Sea Grant have been awarded a $250,000 grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to explore the potential of seaweed aquaculture in Florida’s subtropical waters.
“Florida’s aquaculture industry is primed for this opportunity,” said principal researcher Ashley Smyth, in a UF press release. “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."
The project focuses on tropical seaweeds that can thrive in Florida's warm waters, diverging from the kelp and nori species commonly cultivated in colder regions, Smyth, an assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, explained.
“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. 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," Smyth said.
The research team will tackle several key research themes to lay the groundwork for a viable seaweed aquaculture industry in Florida, including identifying optimal species for cultivation, developing scalable seaweed farming techniques, and investigating seaweed’s role in environmental restoration through nutrient absorption.
The research will also take a look at the economics of seaweed farming, by evaluating market demand and potential commercial uses, and assessing costs and profitability, in collaboration with a working seaweed farm.
The initiative builds on previous UF/IFAS-funded studies and expands on existing partnerships with the aquaculture industry, the research team said. The project will continue collaboration with Two Docks Shellfish, a Tampa-based aquaculture producer.
“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.
“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,” she added.
