USDA Report Showcases Benefits of Seaweeds and Seagrasses to U.S. Economy and Environment

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine, have unveiled a new comprehensive evaluation of U.S. seaweeds and seagrasses entitled, “Farming Seagrasses and Seaweeds: Responsible Restoration and Revenue Generation.”

The report highlights sizable gains in knowledge, technology transfer, and commercial activity that are driving economic activity on the working waterfront and enhancing ocean health. And it calls for immediate investments in new R&D; business development and financing programs for sea farmers; enhanced collaboration between sea farmers, industry, and scientists; data collection and dissemination; innovation and infrastructure improvements; and policy and regulatory modernization to accelerate the growth of this emerging and high-powered sector.

“We are seeing a small but mighty seaweed-based industry forming along the nation’s coastline, transforming working waterfronts and giving a boost of energy to already-emerging life science and blue economy clusters from Maine to Alaska and beyond,” said Nichole Price, a senior research scientist from Bigelow Laboratory and the report’s project manager.

The report, which includes input from 24 U.S. government agencies and more than 1,000 stakeholders from across the U.S. and its territories, shows a big upswing in seaweed and seagrass research and development beginning in the year 2000. This surge can be attributed to significant desire by the private sector and government to spark new economic opportunities in coastal communities, increase supply chain sustainability through biomanufacturing, and improve ocean health.

The report underscores how industry leaders value seaweed as a regenerative and biobased feedstock to sustainably make a growing number of food and products across many sectors, including agriculture, energy, health, and consumer goods. It also emphasizes the value of seaweeds and seagrasses in cleaning and balancing the ocean, restoring marine habitats, removing legacy atmospheric carbon, protecting coastal property, controlling run-off pollution, and enriching voluntary carbon and nitrogen offset markets.

“Developing this report provided ARS an opportunity to work with seaweed and seagrass stakeholders that have not typically interacted with our Agency,” said ARS National Program Leader for Aquaculture Caird Rexroad. “These stakeholders represent an up-and-coming industry that has tremendous potential to generate revenue and benefit the environment.”

In fiscal year 2019, Congress requested a comprehensive evaluation of U.S. seaweeds and seagrass farming and charged USDA with leading a robust interagency and public process to obtain the necessary information. Funds to support this effort were released in 2021. USDA contracted Bigelow Laboratory, an independent and nonprofit research institute that studies global ocean health, to execute the work and help fulfill the congressional mandate.

Bigelow Laboratory’s Center for Seafood Solutions collaborated with the 42-member U.S. Government Interagency Working Group for the Research of Farming of Seaweeds and Seagrasses to gain valuable understanding of the state of the science and industry through a series of inclusive virtual listening sessions and workshops, purposeful research projects, and one-on-one meetings.

The final report is shaped by thoughtful stakeholder insight, science, and facts and includes valuable perspectives from Indigenous people. It is built to satisfy Congress’ expectations and provide the public and policymakers with sound information and a precise set of recommendations that, if taken, hold great potential to ignite growth of an emerging, high-powered and environmentally beneficial economic sector.

“The future of this sector is bright,” Price said. “Let’s turn this great report into action and benefit America’s coastal communities by implementing its thoughtful recommendations.”

For more information about “Farming Seaweeds and Seagrasses: Responsible Restoration and Revenue Generation,” visit the USDA website.