News

Scientists are using what has been dubbed “IVF for seaweed” in a bid to restore underwater kelp forests lost from the Hauraki Gulf, raising hopes for the recovery of one of New Zealand's most degraded marine ecosystems. 

Engineers at Queen's University Belfast have cultivated three commercial seaweed species on rope spun entirely from sheep's wool, in Norwegian trials the team says are the first to run at industrial scale.

Women seaweed producer groups in Zanzibar strengthened their technical and business skills through a refresher training conducted under the UNESCO BEAR II Project.

Inspired by naturally-occurring mats and balls of seaweed, researchers have created highly-porous, superadhesive meshes that are capable of capturing both large and small microplastic particles – a longstanding challenge in the field.

Rakiura/Stewart Island fisherman Zane Smith has deployed New Zealand’s first commercial seaweed farm using a special Norwegian infrastructure.

Danish researchers have shown that offshore wind farms can double as seaweed cultivation sites, producing high-quality food biomass without farmland or fertiliser. The technology is proven - building the supply chain is now the challenge. 

University of Waikato researcher Dr Holly Robertson spent years brewing green seaweed in a laboratory to test the theory that it was one of the missing pieces in helping to grow more food while reducing our impact on the environment.