Seaweed Economy

Notes

Sector updates, field notes, and commentary from the seaweed sector. We publish regular updates on developments across BC, Canada, and the wider blue economy. If you are working on something worth sharing, we would like to hear from you.

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October 23, 2026Sector Update
What a kelp farmer is paid, and why it stays low
Seaweed Economy
This week I looked at one question from four sides: what a kelp farmer in North America is paid, and why that price stays low. Each day's post took one piece of it. This note brings the pieces together, adds what the lat…
Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Aquaculture Landings Report (published April 2026)McKinley Research Group and Pacific Shellfish Institute, Alaska Mariculture Industry Update (November 2025)GreenWave, State of the Kelp Industry: A Decade in Review and the Road Ahead (February 2026)Vinalhaven Kelp, Aquaculture and Land Farm Collaboration, SARE project FNE21-987, final report FAO, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024
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October 13, 2026Sector Update
Three kinds of progress in seaweed, and why the difference matters
Seaweed Economy
Three announcements in the first week of October were each described as progress for seaweed. A farm in Alaska grew giant kelp. An Australian company signed a distribution agreement with a target of 480,000 cattle. A stu…
WildBlue Mariculture, Final Report on Pilot Scale Cultivation of Macrocystis in Alaska (Alaska Mariculture Cluster, 6 October 2026)Sea Forest Limited, Sea Forest signs 480,000 head deal with Teys Australia (ASX announcement, 7 October 2026)Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and partners, Kelp Aquaculture in Massachusetts: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions (summary published 6 October 2026)GreenWave, State of the Kelp Industry: A Decade in Review and the Road Ahead (February 2026)
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September 30, 2026Research Update
Recovering more value from kelp: what a two-phase solvent study suggests
Seaweed Economy
Recovering several useful products from the same kelp feedstock is an appealing prospect for seaweed processors. A new study offers a processing insight worth following: a solvent system may help make compounds accessibl…
Hiemstra et al. (2026), Disruption or partitioning? Deep eutectic solvent biphasic systems for integrated seaweed biorefineries. Bioresources and Bioprocessing 13, 141 (open access)
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August 5, 2026Research Update
Tangled Seaweed Inspires One-Size-Fits-All Cleaners for Ocean Microplastics
Matt Shipman · NC State University
Researchers at NC State University have developed superadhesive meshes inspired by the way seaweed naturally tangles and traps debris in the ocean. The meshes capture microplastic particles across a wide size range, from…
NC State University News
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June 24, 2026Sector Update
Ocean Visions Published a Seaweed Biorefinery Roadmap. Here Is What It Means for Operators.
Seaweed Economy
Ocean Visions released its Seaweed-Based Products for Decarbonization roadmap in June 2026, a comprehensive technology and policy document covering biofuels, food products, critical minerals, agricultural uses, biomateri…
Ocean Visions: Seaweed-Based Products for Decarbonization Biorefineries, State of Approach
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April 13, 2026Sector Update
Draft Statewide Marine Aquaculture Action Plan
California Ocean Protection Council · State of California
California's draft action plan sets out a statewide framework for developing commercial marine aquaculture while protecting coastal ecosystems, public health, tribal cultural resources, and public access. It proposes clo…
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March 22, 2026Sector Update
Green Gold of the Red Sea: What Saudi Arabia's Marine Biotech Push Means for BC
Seaweed Economy
Saudi Arabia is making a serious bet on seaweed. As part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom has committed over four billion dollars to aquaculture development, and commercial analysts project its fisheries infrastructure market…
Arab News: KAUST seaweed biotech Saudi Arabia aquaculture market outlook
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March 21, 2026Research Update
From Ocean to Medicine: What Seaweed's Pharmaceutical Potential Means for BC
Seaweed Economy
A January 2024 study from researchers at the University of Coimbra and University of Aveiro in Portugal traces, for the first time in a comprehensive and integrated way, the full development pipeline from seaweed extract…
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