Investigated the feasibility of seaweed aquaculture in southern California for Santa Barbara Mariculture and the Sustainable Aquaculture Research Center.
Presented master’s group project scope and results to the public on March 2018, Santa Barbara.
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:
Globally, aquaculture systems produce 23.8 million tonnes of seaweed, worth $6.4 billion USD annually. The majority of edible seaweeds consumed in California is imported from Asia and any local seaweed product is overwhelmingly sourced from wild harvesters in Northern California. Reliance on imports and wild harvesting can have large environmental consequences and put additional pressure on regional marine ecosystems.
As the demand for local seaweed in California increases, interest in developing a seaweed aquaculture industry in both onshore and offshore systems has grown. However, the technical and economic feasibility of growing native California seaweed species as local alternatives to the major imported species — nori, kombu, and wakame — has not been assessed. Our project addressed this knowledge gap by investigating which seaweed species had the most potential based on market demand and suitability to local environmental conditions.
We identified four promising species in the Southern California Bight and the appropriate methods for cultivation. We then developed a bio-economic model to highlight the key factors that determine the economic feasibility of establishing a seaweed aquaculture industry in the region. Finally, we undertook preliminary economic assessments of seaweed integration into an existing local mussel farm. The results from this project can provide stakeholders and policymakers a blueprint for prioritizing next steps in expanding sustainable aquaculture in Southern California.
View presentation here.