Can kelp farming make the world a better place? Around the globe, seaweed aquaculture is booming, with everyone from government officials to Jeff Bezos jumping on board. The industry is taking off on the west coast of North America, where plans for new kelp farms are popping up everywhere. Advocates tout seaweed farming as a solution to hunger, poverty, greenhouse gas emissions, and the degradation of ocean ecosystems. But so far, evidence is thin. Many questions remain.
Join Rebecca Martone, marine ecologist and executive director of the Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the Northeast Pacific, and expert panelists for an engaging discussion on kelp farming, its promises and pitfalls. They’ll cover what we know about the potential environmental and social impacts of seaweed aquaculture-including creating fish habitat, combating climate change, and generating revenue for coastal communities-as well as what’s still unknown.
If you’ve heard the buzz about kelp farming but aren’t clear on the details, this event is for you. To learn more about the state of seaweed aquaculture before the event, read Nicola Jones’s recent story in Hakai Magazine, “Banking on the Seaweed Rush,” hakaimagazine.....