Researchers in South Florida are diving into the promising world of seaweed aquaculture, exploring how this sustainable practice can help tackle environmental challenges while boosting the local economy. Experts from the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University are investigating how seaweed farming in the region’s tropical waters can help in ways like purifying runoff and improving water quality. With seaweed’s potential to be used in everything from biofuels to cosmetics, the natural resource could lead to an important new industry in our area, transforming Florida’s coastal ecosystems— and its economy—in the process.
In collaboration with Florida Sea Grant—a university-based statewide program that supports research, education, and outreach to promote the sustainable use and conservation of Florida’s coastal and marine resources—UF recently received a $250,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to explore local seaweed aquaculture.
Ashley Smyth, PhD, an assistant professor at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Tropical Research and Education Center and the project’s lead researcher, explains that seaweed acts as nature’s filter, soaking up harmful excess from the water. “Seaweed is like a sponge,” she says. “As it photosynthesizes, it removes things like carbon dioxide and nitrogen from the water to help it grow. The removal of toxins is a net positive for water quality, marine life, and the environment as a whole.”
Researchers at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute are currently studying seaweed’s ability to do exactly that. Rachel Brewton, PhD, part of the university’s integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system research team, says a good example of seaweed’s ability to filter water in South Florida is already underway at the Osprey Acres Stormwater Park & Nature Preserve in Indian River County. “The facility removes water from the Indian River Lagoon and runs it across an aquaculture system of microalgae the length of a football field,” she says. “You end up with much cleaner water, which is obviously better for both humans and nature. The water is then pumped back into the lagoon.”
Smyth’s team plans to identify species with high-value compounds like bromoform that can be used in cattle feed to mitigate methane emission. She is also optimistic about the farmed seaweed’s potential for other uses such as biofuel, cosmetics, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals.
According to Stuart-based dietitian and nutritionist Tegan Bissell, seaweed has a lot of nutritional value as well—it provides nutrients like vitamins and omega-3s, contains fiber that boosts gut health, is high in protein, and has anti-inflammatory properties. However, only about 145 of the more than 10,000 species of seaweed are harvested for human
consumption, and those species (like kelp and nori) are typically found only in colder waters.
Still, Smyth is excited about the future of seaweed farming in South Florida. “Our project’s goal is to identify options for growth, see what’s native to Florida, see which compounds they have, and how those compounds can be used,” she says. “We don’t know how viable of a market seaweed is yet, and that’s what we’re diving into.”
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