SBIR-STTR Award

This Phase I proposal determines the feasibility of growing multiple species of macroalgae in commercial marine aquafarm environments. Marine aquaculture is a logical outgrowth of successful wild harvest seaweed businesses over the last several years. Developing a marine aquaculture prototype will foster the science of sea farming. Extending growing seasons for multi-species would provide year round fresh sea vegetables for various growing markets where currently only dried and frozen product is available. Nursery production is the first step to successful grow-out while commercial success depends on careful cultivation. Our project collaborates with ongoing Sea Grant research in Maine and New Hampshire and University of Maine's Center for Cooperative Aquaculture (CCAR), to evaluate aquaculture seed stock and grow-out techniques. For each species obtained from CCAR, our team will gather data on water quality, nutrients, light levels, and hydrographic dynamics to assemble profiles of key parameters that determine optimum algal growth and evaluate factors that will be important for growing high quality sea vegetables year round. The six-month Phase I time frame investigates a limited period of the growing season but the data gathered can be used to project cultivation strategies for prototype aquaculture farms during Phase II.

Maine Fresh Sea Farms (MFSF) will build a multi-species, multi-season prototype farm with the goal of having crops of fresh sea vegetables available throughout the year. What isn’t utilized fresh will be dried for longer-term storage and used in other products. Our team will gather data on water quality, nutrients, light levels, and hydrodynamics to assemble profiles of key parameters that determine optimum algal growth and evaluate factors that will be important for growing high quality sea vegetables. In addition to moving forward on the science of sea farming, we will build the necessary technology and expertise in handling, processing, and marketing to assure a clear path to commercialization. MFSF will continue our emphasis on sales of fresh sea vegetable to local and regional markets and more fully research these markets to identify all possible buyers and users. The results of this work will be requisite for the establishment of other farms.