Kelp Farming

One of the most important lessons I have gained from my time here in Three Seas, is that learning continues outside of the classroom, lab and field. I recently had the pleasure of attending Boston's 16th annual vegetarian food festival. I expected to eat lots of vegetarian treats that day, but I did not expect to put my knowledge of marine biology to use. However, I met the two men who started the first and only kelp farm in the United States. Ocean Approved, is a company that farms kelp and packages it frozen to be used as a food source. I tried their kelp cole slaw, which was very delicious. I was curious, however as to why the kelp that I was eating was green in color. The farmers told me that I was eating Laminaria digitata, and as I know as a Three Seas student, this is a brown algae. They explained that when the kelp is cooked the fucoxanthin dies off and the kelp then becomes green in color.

Molecular structure of fucoxanthin [source]

I was also curious about how the farming process takes place with respect to kelp's somewhat complex life cycle. The farmers told me that the kelp starts out in the lab. They produce a zygote from the male and female gametophytes. When the zygote has matured into a sporophyte they encourage it to settle on a rope, when the sporophytes grows to about 5cm in length they place the ropes (now covered in baby plants) into plots in the Gulf of Maine and allow them to grow into long, healthy blades. The blades are then harvested, cooked, packaged and frozen for future consumption.

Laminaria life cycle [source]

This farming process takes place in the cold winter months in Maine. Because of this, Ocean Approved has begun selling kelp seeds to lobstermen, who are unable to harvest lobster in the winter. The lobstermen can then farm kelp in the off season. This has obvious benefits for the lobstermen, as well as Ocean Approved, both parties benefit in a responsible and sustainable way.

Ocean Approved is commited to the sustainabilty of not only their product, but to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, as well. The farmers explain that through the farming of kelp they are helping to reduce CO2 levels in the Gulf. World wide we have seen an increase in CO2 in the oceans due to increased amounts of CO2 being released into the atmosphere from anthropogenic activities and then dissolving into the oceans. Through chemical reactions, this dissolved CO2 reduces the pH of the ocean, spelling trouble for many and varied marine organisms. Marine plants, such as kelp, require CO2 for photosynthesis, thus removing the dissolved CO2 from the water. Making kelp farming healthy for the ocean, economy, and people!

Please enjoy this short video explaining these points further:

Maine Farm Growing Business Through Unlikely Food

Tollef Olsen, co-founder of Ocean Approved shows large, healthy, harvested kelp blades [source]