Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences Reached During this Project: -New and existing sea farmers, with a focus especially on women farmers -University Students, including undergraduate enrolled, newly graduated undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students. Involvement has included through internship programs, employment, volunteering, education and training, and research. -Middle and High School Students: Through collaboration with educational non-profits, high school programs, and employment. -Academic Researchers at various institutions -Commercial companies looking to grow or source crops -Governmental representatives, including Governor Mills of Maine, and a representative from Congressman Jared Golden's office -Local Community: The Friends of Frenchman Bay, the Gouldsboro Shore initiative, and local residents and visitors through several group and individual facility visits, as well as a public presentations to the Gouldsboro Historical Society and various conservation groups. -Local, regional, and international engagements through collaborations, partnerships, conferences, and workshops -Interested parties from a wide range of backgrounds through 3 day workshops and trainings Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has supported professional development for the PI's through an opportunity to collaborate with a European company interested in cultivating the red seaweeds, and through participation in the Northeast Aquaculture Conference, and the Seaweeds for Health Conference in Spain. The project has supported training activities for middle school, high school, and university students, volunteers, and workers through engagement with nursery, farm, harvest, and data collection. We have hosted over 10 university students with an interest in seaweed aquaculture and provided training, experience, and education for over 50 people through on-site work and training experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New and existing seaweed and shellfish sea farmers have been our main target audience as well as members of the fishing industry interested in diversifying their income. We held an intensive in-person three day seaweed aquaculture workshop in the fall of 2023 and 2024 and covered all aspects of seaweed farming, including our research from this project. Outside of the training, we regularly receive inquires from existing shellfish and seaweed farmers for dulse and nori seed. We are partnering with the Boothbay Sea and Science seaweed aquaculture program, as well as Belfast high school and elementary school programs to include seaweed aquaculture programming in public schools in Maine. We have engaged with wider target audiences in Canada and Europe, through zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails, through requests, inquires, and collaborations with companies that are looking to source seaweeds in their products, or develop their own cultivation systems, or seeking partnerships and sourcing with Maine seaweed farmers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Relevance: The potential for marine-based plant aquaculture (seaweed) in the US is immense, but the nascent industry remains stalled at low value brown kelp crops. Springtide Seaweed is developing new aquaculture solutions to enable the cultivation of new high-value seaweed crops for sustainable economic opportunities and aquaculture diversification. The need for the development of a dulse (Palmaria palmata) cultivation system is becoming even more pressing, with major oceanic changes impacting the traditional red seaweed wild harvest industry in the Gulf of Maine. Increasing market demand, decreasing wild harvest landings, and a growing interest in aquaculture diversification options all make dulse a desirable new crop for farmers in the North Atlantic. Response: Phase II work refined nursery and farm seaweed cultivation systems for commercialization, optimizing nursery strategies and cultivation system designs, with a focus on dulse. Research and development objectives included: 1) Refine nursery technologies and designs for efficient scalable seed production; 2) Develop and test cultivation substrates for successful seed production and farm cultivation; 3) Design and test cultivation system designs on the farm for dulse and nori crops; and 4) Develop sustainable business strategies for all phases of innovation development. Obj 1: Refine nursery technologies and designs for efficient seed production. -Nursery Systems: Nursery development occurred in the design and testing of nursery systems, to include the nursery infrastructure (environmental chambers, lighting, water systems, tank systems), seedstock production, seeding, and timing. -Dulse Seedstocks: We have created and maintained a dulse nursery with viable seedstock from a wide range of geographic areas. We continue to maintain and utilize several successful strains for seed production. Differences in growth, size, shape, thickness, and reproduction was observed in plants grown from different seedstocks, which suggests that there are different strains of dulse that can be developed for cultivation, and could require customized cultivation approaches. -Innovations in Seed Production: New approaches to spore production, seeding, and nursery development were created to improve settlement, viability, density, and seedling growth in the nursery. Obj 2: Develop and test new innovative advanced technology cultivation substrates for successful seed production and farm cultivation. A wide range of substrate types were tested for dulse cultivation in the nursery and at sea over the course of the project. Seeding density, growth, timing, biofouling, and yield data was collected for nursery and farm stages. Results suggest that substrate type can have significant impacts on growth and yield of crops, and substrates can be optimized for different crops. Obj. 3: Design and test four cultivation system designs on the farm for dulse and nori crops. Several different forms of cultivation of dulse were trialed, including two forms of a suspended cultivation dulse growth module (DGM), seeded twine and nets, longline seeding, and a parallel line array. Tasks include initial testing of different designs in years one and two, and full prototype testing in years two and three, the development of cultivation gear hardware to increase ease and reusability, and reduce gear failure on the farm, optimizing, refining, and testing cultivation system material and design, and full environmental monitoring of farm conditions. Outcomes include the development of new full cultivation gear and systems, and development of a finished cultivation system prototype for commercial production. Obj. 4: Develop sustainable business strategies for all phases of innovation development Based on the nursery and farm production systems developed, we have conducted full business analysis for all phases of the innovation, and developed IP, production, distribution, and marketing plans. Tasks included a full production analysis, to include customer discovery, analysis of relevant industry data, and the development of pricing systems, packages, and protocols. Outcomes: The research and development achievements gained through the SBIR program have allowed us to lay the foundational groundwork for scaling dulse culture, as well as the future development of new aquaculture crops utilizing our techniques and technologies. Applications and outcomes of the research include: Current and near term: -New seaweed nursery seawater treatment methods for cultivation of micro and macro-stages -New cultivation strain development of dulse seedstock and methods for spore production -New seaweed farming system designs, including two adaptable approaches utilizing a growing module design that allows for ease of seeding, transport, cultivation, harvest, and reuse -New aquaculture gear equipment hardware, including clamps, swivels, and clips -New diversification opportunities for applicant's farm business in the form of seed sales, crop sales, new products, and consulting -Change in knowledge and understanding of the domestication of native red seaweed crops -New aquaculture integration strategies, including the integration of seaweed and sea urchin cultivation systems Near Future Applications: -Scaling of dulse cultivation to a commercially significant level -New diversification opportunities for sea farmers -New products and services to be offered to the aquaculture industries in the form of seed, gear, and consultancy -Change in action with adoption of new technologies by sea farmers -Change in condition of market reliance on wild harvested seaweeds to cultured seaweeds -New R&D utilizing technologies for the development of new crops like sea urchins, nori, irish moss, ulva, gracilaria, etc. Impacts: Target audiences reached during this project period included University students (newly graduated, undergraduate, graduate), local community members, fishing industry members, academic researchers, commercial companies looking to source seaweeds, and new and existing aquaculture farmers, including seaweed and shellfish farmers. Interactions with target audience members has included education, training, and outreach on the development of new seaweed crops for aquaculture. This project has had the opportunity to provide training and collaboration for middle school, high school, and university students in the form of visits, interviews, apprenticeships, independent studies, and employment. Our company is often approached by a wide range of students that are interested in researching and obtaining hands-on training for marine aquaculture, and we try to accommodate every request to encourage interest and participation. New and existing seaweed and shellfish sea farmers have been our main target audience as well as members of the fishing industry interested in diversifying their income. We held an intensive in-person three day seaweed aquaculture workshop in the fall of 2023 and 2024 and covered all aspects of seaweed farming, including our research from this project. Outside of the training, we regularly receive inquires from existing shellfish and seaweed farmers for dulse and nori seed. We are partnering with the Boothbay Sea and Science seaweed aquaculture program, as well as Belfast high school and elementary school programs to include seaweed aquaculture programming in public schools in Maine. We have engaged with wider target audiences internationally in Canada and Europe, through in person visits, zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails, through requests, inquires, and collaborations with companies that are looking to source seaweeds in their products, or develop their own cultivation systems, or seeking partnerships and sourcing with Maine seaweed farmers.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this project period included University students (newly graduated, undergraduate, graduate), local community members, fishing industry members, US, Canadian, and European companies and researchers looking to source seaweeds, and new and existing aquaculture farmers, including seaweed and shellfish farmers. Interactions with target audience members has included education, training, and outreach on the development of new seaweed crops for aquaculture. This project has had the opportunity to provide training and collaboration for middle school, high school, and university students in the form of visits and interviews (10) and employment (10). Our company is often approached by a wide range of students that are interested in researching and obtaining hands on training for marine aquaculture, and we try to accommodate every request to encourage interest and participation. New and existing seaweed and shellfish sea farmers have been our main target audience, as well as members of the fishing industry interested in diversifying their income. We held an intensive in-person three day seaweed aquaculture workshop in the fall of 2023 and covered all aspects of seaweed farming, including our research from this project. Outside of the training, we regularly receive inquires from existing shellfish and seaweed farmers for dulse and nori seed. We are partnering with the Boothbay Sea and Science seaweed aquaculture program, as well as Belfast high school and elementary school programs to include seaweed aquaculture programming in public schools in Maine. We have engaged with wider target audiences in Canada and Europe, through zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails, through requests, inquires, and collaborations with companies that are looking to source seaweeds in their products, or develop their own cultivation systems, or seeking partnerships and sourcing with Maine seaweed farmers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Target audiences reached during this project period included University students (newly graduated, undergraduate, graduate), local community members, fishing industry members, US and European companies looking to source seaweeds, and new and existing aquaculture farmers, including seaweed and shellfish farmers. Interactions with target audience members has included education, training, and outreach on the development of new seaweed crops for aquaculture. This project has had the opportunity to provide training and collaboration for middle school, high school, and university students in the form of visits and interviews (10) and employment (10). Our company is often approached by a wide range of students that are interested in researching and obtaining hands on training for marine aquaculture, and we try to accommodate every request to encourage interest and participation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New and existing seaweed and shellfish sea farmers have been our main target audience in this first year of the project, as well as members of the fishing industry interested in diversifying their income. We held an intensive in-person three day seaweed aquaculture workshop in the fall of 2023 and covered all aspects of seaweed farming, including our research from this project. Outside of the training, we regularly receive inquires from existing shellfish and seaweed farmers for dulse and nori seed. We partner with and support educational programs at Maine public schools (including elementary and high schools) to include seaweed aquaculture programming in public schools in Maine. We have engaged with wider target audiences in Canada and Europe, through zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails, through requests, inquires, and collaborations with companies that are looking to source seaweeds in their products, or develop their own cultivation systems, or seeking partnerships and sourcing with Maine seaweed farmers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have been granted a one year extension to the project. As we finalize our work, we will develop business plans and production designs. The next period will investigate patentable ideas, prototype development, and best options for commercializing and protecting our work. We continue to work to establish dulse strains, test nursery strategies, and source resources for the new and final farm module design.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The potential of US seaweed aquaculture is immense, but the industry remains stalled at low value brown kelp crops. Springtide Seaweed is developing red seaweed cultivation solutions through new nursery and farm technologies that will enable new high-value seaweed crops for sustainable economic growth and diversification. The development of new red seaweed cultivation technologies will support the growth of seaweed aquaculture in the US and beyond, and will provide new opportunities for women sea farmers and rural economically disadvantaged coastal areas. The need for an understanding and development of a dulse cultivation system is becoming even more pressing, with major oceanic changes impacting the traditional harvests in the Gulf of Maine. Canada, the largest dulse producer in the world, has reported worst year ever for dulse harvest, with sales down 80% from previous years. About 90% of the wild dulse harvested this year was the lowest quality "grey leaf" dulse, which is dulse that dries an off color, grey or greenish, affecting the appearance and flavor of the dried dulse. The grey leaf is caused by endophytes and epiphytes growing in and on the dulse leaf. In some areas of Candada, historic dulse beds have disappeared altogether. Our research is mainly focused on dulse (Palmaria palmata) cultivation development, with farming and nursery systems that can be applied to a wide range of seaweed crops, including nori and sea urchins. There are three main areas of research and development for new crop development--nursery seed production, farm systems and cultivation, and business strategies. Obj. 1&2: Nursery development occurred in the design and testing of affordable and accessible cultivation substrates, and the design of a new seaweed growth module growing panel. Results suggest that substrates can have significant impacts on growth and yield of crops, and substrates can be optimized for different crops. Seedstock strains from different regions are being developed in the nursery to create reliable sources of seed, and lighting techniques are being explored to minimize fouling and create methods for holding or growing seed efficiently. Obj 3: A flat cultivation module has been found to be the ideal form for ease of handling and harvestable yield. This design is being further refined to optimize the structure for yield and optimal seed production. Changing ocean dynamics are making it more challenging to farm in the sea, as invasive species and biofouling organisms are becoming more prolific and problematic. Seed size and timing, along with harvest timing, will need to be optimized for quality commercial harvests. Nursery and farm protocols are being designed to optimize seed size, time of planting, and time of harvesting, as well as optimizing value and end use. Obj 4: Aquaculture synergies are being realized as new forms of cultivation are being developed. Seaweed, sea urchin, oyster, and mussel farming systems have cross cutting needs and can offer opportunities in innovation. Seaweed systems can be utilized for other crops, and shellfish and animals can be incorporated into macroalgal systems. Optimal value of farmed red seaweeds might be found as feed in other aquaculture crops, rather than just in food. We are exploring end products, value, and costs of production to determine best end use. Two growing seasons have enabled us to create a farming system where we better understand the needs and opportunities for cultivating dulse and nori. This is essential groundwork to commercialize new growing designs and nursery techniques for the production of reliable and high quality seed and crops.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this project period included University students (newly graduated, undergraduate, graduate, and ph D students), government representatives, local community members, fishing industry members, US and European companies looking to source seaweeds, and new and existing aquaculture farmers. Interactions with target audience members has included education, training, and outreach on the development of new seaweed crops for aquaculture. This project has had the opportunity to provide training and collaboration for University students in the form of internships (5), field trips, visits and interviews (18), research (3), and employment (1). Our company is often approached by a wide range of students that are interested in researching and obtaining hands on training for marine aquaculture, and we try to accommodate every request to encourage interest and participation. Governmental representatives, including Governor Mills of Maine, and a representative from Congressman Jared Golden's office, have visited our facility where we shared our work and offered faculty tours, highlighting our research and development of new red seaweed crops supported by this project. The announcement of our USDA SBIR award was also shared widely online and in the media after it was released by both Senator Collins and Senator King's office in Maine. We have engaged widely with the local community to share our work, including with The Friends of Frenchman Bay, the Gouldsboro Shore initiative, and local residents and visitors through several group and individual facility visits, as well as a public presentation to the Gouldsboro Historical Society. New and existing sea farmers have been our main target audience in this first year of the project, with a focus especially on new women farmers. We hosted 10 women this summer that participated in nursery, farm, harvest, and data collection work, and offered essential hands on training and experience in the nursery and on the farm. Of these 10 women, 5 are planning, or in the process of, starting their own seaweed farms, and are interested in cultivating red seaweeds. Existing sea farmers, including kelp and oyster farmers, have engaged with interest in the project, and 3 fishing community members have also expressed interest. We have engaged with wider target audiences, in the US and Europe, through meetings at conferences in Maine and Spain, and through requests, inquires, and collaborations with companies that are looking to source seaweeds in their products, or develop their own cultivation systems. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has supported training activities for interns, volunteers, and workers through engagement with nursery, farm, harvest, and data collection. We have hosted six students with an interest in seaweed aquaculture and provided training, experience, and education for over 20 people through on-site work experiences. This project has provided training and collaboration for University students in the form of paid internships (5), field trips, visits and interviews (18), research (3), and employment (1). Our company is often approached by a wide range of students that are interested in researching and obtaining hands on training for marine aquaculture, and we try to accommodate every request to encourage interest and participation. New and existing sea farmers have been our main target audience in this first year of the project, with a focus especially on new women farmers. We hosted 10 women this summer that participated in nursery, farm, harvest, and data collection work, and offered essential hands on training and experience in the nursery and on the farm. Of these 10 women, 5 are planning, or in the process of, starting their own seaweed farms, and are interested in cultivating red seaweeds. The project has supported professional development for the PI's through an opportunity to collaborate with a European company interested in cultivating the red seaweeds, and through participation in the Northeast Aquaculture Conference, and the Seaweeds for Health Conference in Spain. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Governmental representatives, including Governor Mills of Maine, and a representative from Congressman Jared Golden's office, have visited our facility where we shared our work and offered faculty tours, highlighting our research and development of new red seaweed crops supported by this project. The announcement of our USDA SBIR award was also shared widely online and in the media after it was released by both Senator Collins and Senator King's office in Maine. We have engaged widely with the local community to share our work, including with The Friends of Frenchman Bay, the Gouldsboro Shore initiative, and local residents and visitors through several group and individual facility visits, as well as a public presentation to the Gouldsboro Historical Society. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the upcoming year, we are preparing for another growing season to test nursery and farm designs for nori and dulse. To date, most of our progress had been in dulse cultivation, but we are currently working to identify and cultivate local strains of nori that will be amenable for nursery seed production. Objective 1: Refine nursery technologies and designs for efficient seed production. In the upcoming year, we will be refining and redesigning nursery systems and seeding approaches for improved seed health and efficiency. This winter, we will conduct laboratory experiments on light, nutrients, and strain development. Objective 2: Develop and test new innovative advanced technology cultivation substrates for successful seed production and farm cultivation. New cultivation substrates are currently being seeded for the upcoming year, as well as some of the substrates tested in the last growing season. New substrate formats and designs are being tested in the nursery and farm. This winter, we will conduct nori substrate experiments for conchocelis and spore production. Objective 3: Design and test four cultivation system designs on the farm for dulse and nori crops. This growing season we are testing four new additional cultivation designs on the farm, as well as new hardware and systems. Results from this upcoming growing season will greatly inform final design and commercialization of dulse cultivation system. More advanced environmental monitoring will be conducted during the growing season. Objective 4: Develop sustainable business strategies for all phases of innovation development. Full production planning and analysis will be possible after two years of designing and refining our systems. Our experimental and market research will be synthesized into business and production plans.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The potential of US seaweed aquaculture is immense, but the industry remains stalled at low value brown kelp crops. Springtide Seaweed is developing red seaweed cultivation solutions that leverage key partnerships, new nursery and farm technologies, and significant market opportunities that will enable new high-value seaweed crops for sustainable economic growth and diversification. The development of new red seaweed cultivation technologies will support the growth of seaweed aquaculture in the US and beyond, and will provide new opportunities for women sea farmers and rural economically disadvantaged coastal areas. Springtide Seaweed's goal is to develop new innovative nori and dulse red seaweed cultivation systems enabling these high-value crops to be farmed in the U.S. and globally. Objective 1: Refine nursery technologies and designs for efficient seed production. Activities: New modular turnkey nursery systems were designed and are being tested and refined for red seaweed seed production, to develop full facilities plans for red seaweed nursery systems. Equipment and supplies for light trials were obtained to test and develop optimal light conditions and conduct light trials. In the nursery, four different types of dulse seedstock were utilized in cultivation experiments, and three different nursery seeding approaches were tested for scaling of dulse seed production. Two different cultivation models were designed, built, and tested during the 2021-2022 growing season. Cultivation model design and testing is ongoing, and will continue this upcoming growing season. Objective 2: Develop and test new innovative advanced technology cultivation substrates for successful seed production and farm cultivation. Activities: Six different cultivation substrates were tested in a large scale field trial (four Gore advanced substrates, and two other substrates) of 400 seed spools for dulse in the 2021-2022 season. Seeding density, growth, timing, biofouling, and yield data was collected for nursery and farm stages. Nori and dulse seeding on additional test substrates and forms is currently underway for the upcoming 2022-2023 growing season. Objective 3: Design and test four cultivation system designs on the farm for dulse and nori crops. Activities: Two different cultivation forms, a round and a flat form, were designed and tested with dulse. Data on growth, yield, biofouling, and system integration was collected. Several different types of cultivation hardware was tested on the farm, including stainless steel clips, clamps, swivels, shackles, and buoy gear. Gear systems will continue to be designed, tested, and refined this growing season. This upcoming season will test net designs and configurations for nursery and grow out, and will continue to refine cage designs and substrate options. Objective 4: Develop sustainable business strategies for all phases of innovation development. Activities: Data is being collected and synthesized for full production design and planning for production analysis. A full preliminary system design was created for year 1 that included inputs, costs, and predicted needs for scaling and commercialization, and will continue to be refined with redesigns and system development. Research is being conducted on available farming systems and needs in the aquaculture industry for farm system design and commercialization. Market research, value benefits, and manufacturing options are underway. Key outcomes: The first growing season of this project allowed us to design and trial a commercial scale system using our preliminary experimental designs, testing a wide variety of experimental factors. This effort brought some key opportunities and challenges forward that will allow us to redesign, refine, and move closer to our goal of commercializing dulse farming
Publications
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