Inside Seaweed: Recent Episodes
Federico De Gobbi
This is the podcast where we talk about the incredible world of seaweed and how this growing industry is bringing innovation and solutions to address climate change and the environmental crisis.
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Intro:
Continuing on the quest to find out where the demand is for startups to build in the blue economy. Today we get a big-picture view that identifies three pillars, energy, food, and data, and the opportunities lying within each of them. Tom Pickerell thinks that this is where founders should look, and crucially he thinks that a lot of it can be done by leveraging existing technology. He's been an advisor to government ministers, heads of state, and company CEOs on scaling a sustainable ocean economy, so he's got a well-rounded understanding of the challenges, the opportunities, and what needs to be done.
Tom's bio:
Dr Tom Pickerell is Global Director of the Ocean Program at the World Resources Institute (WRI) and head of the Secretariat for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a group of 19 serving world leaders working to advance a sustainable ocean economy. He is a marine biologist with over 20 years in ocean sustainability, covering fisheries, aquaculture, climate impacts, and policy. He has worked in UK government and at Pew, WWF-UK, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch programme, and he was Executive Director of the Global Tuna Alliance, which grew under his leadership from a handful of UK founding members to 53 members covering roughly a third of the tuna sector. He holds a degree in marine biology, a master's in analytical biology, and a PhD in shellfish genetics.
WRI is a global research organisation working on climate, nature, and people, with over 1,700 staff and offices around the world. Its Ocean Program focuses on ocean-based climate action, sustainable blue food, ocean equity, and ocean finance, and serves as the Secretariat for the Ocean Panel, whose members have committed to sustainably managing 100% of the ocean under their national jurisdiction, guided by Sustainable Ocean Plans. Tom is based in WRI's London office.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:59 - Tom's role at WRI and the Ocean Panel
00:02:59 - The shift from conservation to food, energy, and security
00:04:26 - The three pillars of demand: energy, food, and data
00:06:22 - Five gigatons of savings using technology that already exists
00:09:20 - Decarbonising shipping and why ports are the bottleneck
00:14:04 - Marine protected areas and the return on investment problem
00:16:23 - The 100% approach: protect 30, sustainably use 70
00:26:51 - Blue foods, overfishing, and the 15% of the catch thrown away
00:28:16 - Getting 100% out of a fish, from Iceland to Namibia
00:37:04 - Seaweed and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture
00:39:26 - Ocean data, the funding gap, and who takes the first risk
Useful Links & Resources:
The Ocean Age Walk & Talk - Link to join the waitlist
Tom Pickerell on LinkedIn.
World Resources Institute: Website, Ocean Program, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (the Ocean Panel): Website.
The published Sustainable Ocean Plans Tom mentions in the episode: Ocean Panel.
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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The blue economy is growing fast. It's expected to reach US$3 trillion by 2030. And if you're an ocean founder, you may be wondering: where is that growth happening? How do I tap into that potential and contribute to positive change? Chris Gorell Barnes from Ocean 14 Capital thinks the biggest opportunity to drive growth is to transition the established, proven businesses to become more modern, digitalised, and sustainable. Plug innovation into what already exists rather than building something new from scratch.
Chris's bio:
Chris Gorell Barnes is a Founding Partner at Ocean 14 Capital, an impact fund investing in the blue economy. Before he moved into ocean investment, he built a career in media and marketing, founding the brand communications agency Adjust Your Set, which he later sold to the OLIVER group, and producing the award-winning documentary The End of the Line, about the global overfishing crisis. He also co-founded the Blue Marine Foundation, a marine charity that creates marine reserves and works to establish sustainable models of fishing.
Ocean 14 Capital backs growth-stage businesses across the blue economy, from sustainable aquaculture and alternative proteins to seaweed and plastics, all guided by UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. Launched in 2020, its first fund closed at €201 million, making it one of the largest dedicated to the blue economy, with backers including Nestlé, the European Investment Fund, Monaco's sovereign wealth fund, and Skype founder Niklas Zennström. The firm is a certified B Corp.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:25 - Who Chris is and what Ocean 14 Capital does
00:02:53 - The fund's two themes, food security and marine ecosystems
00:03:23 - Kingfish and the case for land-based fish farming
00:04:47 - Why the real gap is growth capital, not startup money
00:05:46 - Transitioning fish farms off Excel spreadsheets
00:08:38 - Venture fatigue and the shift to growth equity
00:11:33 - The biggest misconception about the ocean
00:12:30 - Why SDG 14 is the least funded goal
00:15:22 - Where investors lose money, insect protein and RAS
00:20:40 - The sales problem holding blue economy businesses back
00:26:23 - Final advice, do your homework first
Useful Links & Resources:
The Ocean Age Walk & Talk - Link to join the waitlist
Chris Gorell Barnes on LinkedIn
Ocean 14 Capital: Website, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Can marine protected areas be profitable? Most ocean protection runs on government aid and philanthropic foundations. However, Jeremy McKane thinks the only way to make protection permanent is to make it pay for itself. He's the CEO of OCN.ai, and he's building the data infrastructure that lets investors see whether ocean assets are actually performing, turning ocean protection from a leap of faith into something you can actually invest in.
Jeremy’s bio:
Jeremy McKane is the founder and CEO of the Ocean Currency Network (OCN), where he combines over 30 years of tech experience with marine conservation. His career began in tech, and he built OCN.ai, a platform that monitors marine ecosystems and verifies blue carbon credits using real-time data updated every 30 minutes, a major leap from the traditional five-year reporting cycle. Described as a "Fitbit for the ocean," the platform helps unlock revenue through biodiversity and blue carbon credits, with partners including PwC, The Crown Estate UK, and Blue Green Future.
He's also an underwater photographer and installation artist and co-founded Ultramarine on Richard Branson's Necker Island, an initiative focused on protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:10 - Jeremy McKane’s mission at OCN.AI
00:02:10 - Technology as way of exporting value from oceans whilst preserving them
00:02:30 - What is a digital MRV platform and how it applies to ocean conservation
00:03:20 - What an healthy ocean and marine protection are worth to any individual
00:04:10 - Using the market forces as an answer to value the ocean without taking from it 00:06:30 - Better than ordinary carbon credits, with OCN technology tracking capabilities
00:07:10 - Developing Marine conservation areas as a parenting model: funding the development phase to pass the assets on the markets where they can self-sustain
00:08:10 - Misconceptions about carbon credits, learning from past mistakes to improve
00:09:30 - Pricing natural resources to bridge the language and understanding and language 00:10:50 - Working within the system rather than against the system
00:12:10 - Technology, AI, and spotting ocean anomalies before catastrophe
00:13:10 - Why risk assessment matters to ocean investors
00:15:10 - The British Virgin Islands pilot, capacity building, and a nature-based economy
Useful Links & Resources:
Jeremy McKane on LinkedIn
Jeremy McKane’s website
OCN.ai: Website
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Ralph’s bio:
Ralph Chami is the CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Green Future and Rebalance Earth. He spent 25 years at the International Monetary Fund, most recently as Assistant Director, before turning his focus to valuing living nature as an asset class. His work, which puts a financial value on the ecosystem services provided by whales, elephants, seagrass, mangroves and forests, has been featured at TED, in the Financial Times, National Geographic, the New York Times, and on CNN. He is the recipient of the 2024 MadBlue Five Oceans Award and holds a PhD in Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Timestamps:
00:01:10 - Introduction: Ralph Chami
00:02:10 - Ralph Chami sharing his early passion for music
00:04:17 - The whale encounter that changed everything “before 2017” and “after 2017”
00:05:20 - Building a model to estimate the economic value of whales’ carbon capture
00:09:30 - Fertilising, another unknown ecosystem service provided by whales
00:13:15 - How wrong incentives completely alter the true value of whales
00:16:00 - Telling the story of whales and elephants as natural assets with Fabio Bergonzi
00:18:15 - Seagrass and Carlos Duarte’s marine ecology insights
00:19:05 - More living entities that provide valuable services for free
00:22:05 - The fallacy of the current system which ignores planetary boundaries
00:24:40 - From valuing extraction to rewarding the preservation of living things
00:27:00 - Seeing the intrinsic value of nature can make for a better future
Useful Links & Resources:
Ralph Chami on LinkedIn.
Blue Green Future: Website, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us Fan Mail
We’re pleased to bring you, over the next few weeks, a series of in-person interviews we recorded at the World Ocean Summit in Montreal at the beginning of March. This first episode is with Emily Charry Tissier, Founder and CEO of Whale Seeker, a company that uses AI to detect and monitor marine mammals from visual data such as drone or satellite images. The data feeds into everything from shipping routes to marine protected area management. Emily also poses a question: ocean technological solutions already exist, they work, and regulators have approved them. So why aren't they scaling? She has a clear view on why. We sat down in a quiet corner of the conference venue, with a view of the city in the background and a full-size whale model hanging from the ceiling, which also explains the occasional whale noises you’ll hear in the background. It was an inspiring conversation in a special setting, and we hope you can catch a glimpse of that atmosphere and energy.
Emily's Bio:
Emily Charry Tissier is a marine ecologist and the CEO and co-founder of Whale Seeker, a company that uses AI to detect marine mammals from drone, aircraft and satellite imagery. With 20 years of experience in coastal and arctic ecosystems, she has built Whale Seeker into a tool used across environmental impact assessment, shipping route management and marine protected area monitoring. She has engaged with international bodies including the IMO and IHO, and works at the intersection of ocean technology and maritime governance. She was named one of the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.
Timestamps:
00:00:10 - Introduction: Emily Charry Tissier and Whale Seeker
00:02:24 - What Whale Seeker does and why ocean data matters
00:05:10 - Who pays for ocean data?
00:06:00 - Government and industry mandates
00:08:37 - Dynamic shipping routes and marine life protection
00:09:03 - Working with regulators from day one
00:10:37 - Misconceptions about AI and why they matter
00:13:07 - Are we in an AI bubble?
00:15:05 - Hype cycles in ocean solutions: seaweed, carbon capture and beyond
00:17:19 - Why ocean tech isn't scaling: technology isn't the problem
00:20:44 - The psychology of change
00:22:47 - Ego as a barrier to adoption
00:24:45 - Certified routes: building a community around sustainable shipping
00:26:01 - The economics of whale-safe shipping routes
00:28:54 - Emily’s “Why”
Useful Links & Resources:
Emily Charry Tissier on Linkedin.
Whale Seeker: Website and LinkedIn.
Emily’s piece on The Journal of Ocean Technology: Innovation without Adoption: The Ocean Tech Bottleneck
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us Fan Mail
Kate's Bio:
Kate Streather is a documentary researcher with over five years of experience across some of the most respected names in natural history filmmaking, including BBC Studios, Silverback Films, Wildstar Films, and Open Planet Studios. Their credits include Ocean with David Attenborough and Blue Planet III.
Kate brings a rare combination of scientific rigour and production expertise to their work. As a biologist with a First-Class degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Durham, where they specialised in animal behaviour, ecology, and climate change, they bring a depth of understanding to the stories they help tell.
Their hands-on experience spans the full production process, from pre-production and development through to post-production as a core member of edit teams. In the field, Kate has set up and directed a wide range of shoots, including Cineflex, human, macro tank, dive, long lens, drone, and interview, across some of the world's most remote and challenging environments, including Antarctica and West Africa.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - How Kate Streather’s found her passions
00:04:10 - Branching into wildlife film making and the opening of new opportunities
00:08:40 - What it means to work as a scientist in the film making world
00:14:50 - Strengths and struggles of working in wildlife documentaries
00:18:30 - The opportunity to work with Sir David Attenborough in “Ocean”
00:22:00 - What to expect from “Ocean” and what it takes to develop such a project
00:28:10 - Structuring the content in film making: blending science and storytelling
00:33:20 - Why “no one today has seen a truly wild ocean” and a comparison to the past
00:35:00 - The challenging access to the fishing industry and how to convey difficult images
00:39:00 - How “Ocean” condenses a wealth of incredible experiences around the world
00:47:30 - Adventures on board of a Sea Shepherd’s campaigners boat in Antarctica
00:53:00 - Liberia: election tensions, coastal communities, overfishing and pollution
00:55:10 - More with Sea Shepherd’s cooperating with the Liberian Coast Guard
00:59:00 - The challenges of being a researcher for “Ocean”
01:02:30 - The incredible unbalance between Liberian and Norwegian fishing fleet
01:04:05 - Kate's once-in-a-lifetime experience working with Sir David Attenborough
01:07:10 - Post-production: editing, archive, fact‑checking, and premiere in London!
01:12:40 - The far-reaching impact of “Ocean” into politics and institutions
01:15:00 - Kate’s motivations and future plans
Useful Links & Resources:
Kate Strether on Instagram, Linkedin
Ocean with Sir David Attenborough, 2025 official trailer
Sea Shepherd's website: Sea Shepherd
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us Fan Mail
Today we dive into the finance side of the ocean economy because, like it or not, without capital, we won’t be able to make the impact and change we want to see in the world. Finance will be needed to make it happen.
To explore this difficult topic, I sat down with Dr Catherine Jadot, author of the book “How It Doesn’t End”. She’s a fantastic person to talk about this because she’s a marine biologist AND blue-economy finance specialist with over 20 years of experience working with organisations from governments to start-ups.
We didn’t just cover blue finance; we also looked at the psychology of action and the behavioural science behind influencing the positive change ocean founders and innovators want to see.
Catherine's Bio:
Dr Catherine Jadot is a marine biologist and blue economy finance specialist with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of climate resilience, ocean governance, and sustainable development. She advises governments and regional organisations in islands and coastal states on how to design and finance policies and projects that protect marine ecosystems while supporting inclusive growth. She currently leads blue economy and blue finance work for European and international institutions, including multi-country investment facilities, technical assistance programmes, and innovative financing mechanisms for coastal and island regions.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:15 - Catherine Jadot’s early career amidst the doom and gloom narrative
00:09:45 - The limits of project-level work and need for a bigger-picture approach
00:16:15 - Why governments and blue finance are necessary to the ocean economy
00:19:30 - Focusing on solutions and writing “How It Doesn’t End”
00:22:45 - The sources of a new, constructive perspective
00:29:15 - Social experiments to understand everyday climate behaviours
00:35:45 - The importance of people’s perceptions in changing cultural norms
00:37:45 - Finding impact investors to share the potential of the blue economy
00:42:15 - Behavioural science insights for ocean entrepreneurs
00:44:30 - Bankable vs investment-ready projects and mangrove finance examples
00:47:15 - Financial models: grants, blended finance, public–private partnerships
00:51:00 - Finding the right investors: what to do and what to avoid
00:55:45 - The Ocean Startup Blueprint, helping startups moving forward
00:59:30 - Learning to identify the impact investors and become investment-ready
01:02:00 - Closing reflections on the approach to ocean entrepreneurship
Useful Links & Resources:
Catherine Jadot’s book How It Doesn’t End (Amazon, Goodreads)
Catherine Jadot on LinkedIn and Instagram
The Ocean Startup blueprint
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us Fan Mail
This is the third and final part of a special series I recorded as I was connecting with ocean founders and experts in Latin America. Each episode is a standalone interview, so if you’ve missed the previous two, that’s absolutely fine.
This time, my guest is Jose Puga, Co-Founder and CEO of ChucaoTech. This is a start-up based in Chilean Patagonia that uses nanobubble technology in aquaculture. Injecting nanobubbles provides oxygen to the fish but is also used to remediate the seabed from the pollution caused by open-net fish farms.
We’ll dive into this innovative and award-winning technology, but we’ll also hear Jose’s entrepreneurial journey, which is a really cool story. A mechanical engineer who was in the world largest radio telescope (working with oxygen masks up at 5000 m or 16000 feet in the Atacama Desert), he moved to the UK as a consultant, to then come back to Chile and start his own business, which was not without some tense and dark moments.
Jose's Bio:
Mechanical engineer, Master of Science in Engineering (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) and a Master's in Industrial Systems (University of Cambridge, UK).
With more than 10 years of experience in Chile and abroad in the implementation of various projects and design of products in sectors such as aquaculture, astronomy, mining and consumer products.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age Podcast
00:00:32 - Guest Introduction: Jose Puga of ChucaoTech
00:02:03 - Defining the Problem in Aquaculture
00:05:48 - Seabed Remediation Problem
00:08:49 - Nanobubbles Explained
00:13:07 - Customers and Market for Chucao Tech
00:23:05 - Jose's Background: ALMA Project in Atacama Desert
00:28:48 - Transition to Cambridge and Product Development
00:35:01 - Founding ChucaoTech
00:42:03 - Pivot to Seabed Remediation Service
00:47:03 - Difficult Moments and Financial Strain
00:49:35 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
01:10:23 - Ocean Concerns and Environmental Purpose
01:12:59 - Difficult moment: From 65 to 13 People
01:14:29 - Final Message and Contact Information
Useful Links & Resources:
Jose Puga on LinkedIn
ChucaoTech: Website, LinkedIn
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us Fan Mail
This episode is part 2 of a special series recorded as I was travelling across Argentina and Chile, connecting with ocean founders, entrepreneurs, experts and activists.
My guest today is Catalina Cendoya, whom I met when I visited a marine conservation organisation called Por El Mar (literally translates to "For the Sea"). Por El Mar coordinates projects across Patagonia, including, for example, rewilding subantarctic kelp forests in Tierra del Fuego and working on the conservation of a biological corridor off the coast of Argentina that includes 5 major marine species: sharks, orcas, whales, sea lions and dolphins.
Catalina, or Cata, as everybody calls her, specifically is the Director of the Global Salmon Farming Resistance, which is the group behind the campaign that resulted in the ban of open-net salmon farming in Argentina, and it is now (as the name suggests) a global network.
It was a really open and honest conversation, looking at all the different perspectives on the matter. And it was a nice way for me to get out of my bubble and challenge my own assumptions.
So if you’re up for the challenge, please enjoy!
Catalina's Bio:
Catalina feels at home by the coast, close to the sea, surrounded by nature. That deep sense of belonging has shaped her path, leading her to join The Global Salmon Farming Resistance (GSFR) in 2022. In 2023, she became the Director.
She holds a degree in Political Science, driven by a commitment to creating meaningful change in people’s lives. She has worked in government roles supporting people in vulnerable situations and studied in Germany, where she learnt the language and was inspired by a culture deeply rooted in environmental care.
As Director of the GSFR, Catalina leads the alliance’s actions and works with the team to shape strategies that protect the ocean from the harms of industrial salmon farming.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age and Guest Introduction
00:02:04 - Catalina Cendoya's Background and Journey
00:05:15 - Por el Mar and the Campaign to Ban Salmon Farming in Argentina
00:10:06 - What Is Open Net Salmon Farming?
00:12:58 - Environmental Impacts: Pollution, Disease, and Escapes
00:21:12 - Social and Economic Challenges for Local Communities
00:27:05 - Consumer Awareness and Norway's Marketing Success
00:31:00 - Can Salmon Farming Be Made Sustainable?
00:42:49 - Economic Arguments: Norway, Chile, and Tourism
00:49:10 - The Problem with Regulation and Certification Schemes
00:58:06 - Salmon vs Other Protein Sources: A Comparison
01:04:36 - Alternative Ocean Economies and Other Fish Species
01:06:12 - Global Movement: Key Victories and Milestones
01:09:48 - The Power of Global Collaboration with Local Solutions
01:13:45 - Vision for the Future and Resources to Learn More
Useful Links & Resources:
Catalina Cendoya on LinkedIn
Por El Mar: Website, LinkedIn
The Global Salmon Farming Resistance (GSFR): Website, LinkedIn
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us a text
Daniela is an economist specialising in the marketing and development of science-based products, with a focus on sustainable aquaculture and biotechnology. She has 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, 4 of which were devoted to developing and commercialising feed additives, utilising pre-clinical trials for human health products. She has also worked across the private and public sectors, as well as with NGOs and international organisations.
Prior to founding Aquit in 2022, Daniela led research and development initiatives at Silvateam, where she managed the launch of a new business unit and coordinated international research on the microbiome and COVID-19.
She has received several notable recognitions in the sector, including her participation in the Hatch Blue and Conservation International Ventures "Women in Ocean Food" program, and her completion, coming up first place, of the BIGinBIO program with the Ganesha Lab, focusing on biotechnology management.
Daniela holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de San Andrés and has completed postgraduate studies in management and policy in culture and communication.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age and Patagonia Special Series
00:01:04 - Guest Introduction: Daniela Allerbon and Aquit
00:02:23 - Innovation Park and Team Dynamics
00:03:57 - Daniela's Early Career and the 2001 Economic Crisis
00:08:16 - Adapting to Change and Entrepreneurial Spirit
00:13:12 - Public Perception of Aquaculture and Communication Challenges
00:19:10 - Daniela's Career Transition to Aquit
00:31:16 - Aquit's Mission: Farming Fish Without Antibiotics
00:37:31 - Innovation Challenges and Award Recognition
00:41:03 - The Science Behind Aquit's Product
00:46:24 - Expanding Technology to Other Species and AI's Role
00:49:25 - Compelling Reasons for Farmers to Adopt New Solutions
00:54:00 - The Global Issue of Antibiotic Resistance
01:05:03 - Radical Empathy: Advice for Entrepreneurs
01:06:43 - Ocean Entrepreneurs and the Impact-Profitability Challenge
01:10:37 - Being a Latin American Startup with Global Ambitions
01:21:11 - Unconscious Bias in Venture Capital
Useful Links & Resources:
Aquit’s website
Aquit on LinkedIn
Daniela Allerbon on LinkedIn
Daniela mentioned the book "Reinventing Organizations" by Frédéric Laloux
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. Eliana Caragia manages Distribution and Engagement.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us a text
Adam Parker is a seasoned brand leader with over 13 years of experience building consumer goods brands into household names. Currently leading Ocean Saver, a UK brand creating plastic-free, plant-based cleaning products that protect ocean life. He's passionate about scaling next-generation brands that are transforming entire categories.
Prior to Ocean Saver, Adam was the first employee and Managing Director of PÄRLA, a plastic-free oral care brand that he established as the #1 challenger in the category with over 1,000 distribution points across major retailers including Boots, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose.
Before his startup ventures, Adam spent six years as Brand Director of Oral-B at Procter & Gamble, managing a £500 million revenue business. Under his leadership, Oral-B achieved market share leadership and became the #1 most popular brand within P&G's entire portfolio. His notable achievements include making Oral-B the top-selling product on Amazon Prime Day for three consecutive years.
Adam studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University and completed leadership training at the Institute for Young Leaders in Jerusalem.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:10 - Meet Adam Parker: Background and Leadership Training
00:07:21 - Studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford
00:13:57 - The Journey at Procter & Gamble
00:16:14 - Learning from Brand Management at P&G
00:22:12 - The Importance of Consumer Research
00:25:49 - Transitioning to Ocean Saver
00:28:53 - The Challenges of Sustainability in Big Corporations
00:32:10 - The State of Ocean Saver Upon Joining
00:35:05 - The Role of Re-founders at Ocean Saver
00:41:14 - Creating an Ocean Megabrand
00:44:14 - Differentiating from Niche Eco-Brands
00:46:45 - The Power of the Ocean in Marketing
00:50:26 - Consumer Psychology and Purchase Decisions
00:51:23 - Making the Leap of Faith Smaller for Consumers
00:53:12 - Where to Find Ocean Saver Products and Closing
Useful Links & Resources:
Ocean Saver website: ocean-saver.com
Ocean Saver on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube
Adam Parker on LinkedIn
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. Eliana Caragia manages Distribution and Engagement.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Send us a text
As the founder of BioMara, a marine biotech startup based in Scotland, Jay Dignan is dedicated to transforming regenerative seaweed into functional and healthy B2B ingredients for the food and wellness industries. His professional journey began in New Zealand and includes a diverse range of experiences, from deep-sea salvage and working with Tibetan yak wool to media mergers and acquisitions.
Jay has over two decades of cross-disciplinary experience as a founder, CFO, and strategic consultant. His self-described "squiggly" career path was complemented by an MBA from a UK university. He is passionate about seaweed's potential to contribute to a sustainable future and help feed the world. Jay is focused on finding synergies among researchers, innovators, investors, and business leaders to help realise the promise of the seaweed industry for a healthier planet and healthier people.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:44 - Jay's Background and “Squiggly” Career Path
00:06:50 - The Importance of Diverse Experiences
00:10:33 - The Role of an MBA in an Entrepreneur's Journey
00:14:03 - The Tibetan Yak Herder Experience
00:20:31 - The Challenges of the Western Seaweed Industry
00:24:54 - Frustrations Faced as an Ocean Entrepreneur
00:34:25 - The Founding of BioMara and Its Business Model
00:41:02 - Developing and Validating the biorefinery System
00:43:43 - Understanding BioMara's Core Products
00:46:40 - The Potential of Fucoidan in Human Health
00:54:19 - Lessons from the Ashwagandha and Manuka Honey Markets
00:58:55 - The "Health by Stealth" Approach
01:09:18 - The Process of Building a Founding Team
01:12:54 - A Call to Action for Food and Nutraceutical Companies
Useful Links & Resources:
Jay Dignan on LinkedIn
BioMara’s website: Food & Wellness. Products: Seafibrex & Thalivra & Revyntra
BioMara on Linkedin
Biomara’s White Paper on Fucoidan
Scientific paper by BioMara’s team with an overview of fucoidan, its applications and extraction technique.
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. Eliana Caragia manages Distribution and Engagement.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Kira Smiley is the Global Director of Sales and Marketing at TidalX AI, a startup born from Google[x] (now X, the moonshot factory), focused on developing radical technologies to support the ocean economy while sustainably managing and protecting it. Since joining Tidal in 2020, Kira has worn several hats across business development, product, international customer operations, and program management. She served on the leadership committee for Alphabet’s Women of X organisation for several years and is a member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture. Kira attended Stanford University and received both a B.S. in Earth Systems and an M.S. focused on sustainable global food security and the environment. She is a 2019 recipient of the DoSER Public Engagement Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Kira Smiley and TidalX Technology
00:04:19 - Importance and Environmental Impact of Tidal's Technology
00:08:49 - Health Monitoring and Sea Lice Management
00:10:23 - Tidal's Mission and Origin at X the Moonshot Factory
00:13:29 - The Origin Story of Tidal and its Partner Mowi
00:20:03 - Kira Smiley's Background and Interest in Aquaculture
00:23:13 - The Sustainability of Fish as a Protein Source
00:27:06 - The Culture of Innovation at X
00:32:49 - The Principle of "Starting with the Hardest Thing First"
00:35:10 - Transition from R&D to a Commercial Product
00:40:51 - Early Challenges and Pivots in Development
00:43:18 - Factors Leading to the Spin-off from Alphabet X
00:48:52 - Tidal's International Expansion and Strategy
00:57:10 - The Future of the Blue Economy and Investment
01:07:10 - A Call to Action for Innovators and Final Remarks
Useful Links & Resources:
Kira Smiley: LinkedIn
TidalX AI
Aqua Nor Conference, Trondheim, 18-21 August 2025
World Bank Report - Harnessing the Waters: Sustainable Aquaculture
Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture
Global Salmon Initiative
Google X: Website
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. Eliana Caragia manages Distribution and Engagement.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Linzi Hawkin is a creative strategist passionate about protecting the ocean through the power of strategy, storytelling, and education. She is the co-founder of Protect Blue - an ocean-focused organisation built around two core pathways: a creative agency that partners with NGOs, governments, and brands to drive tangible impact, and a direct support platform for ocean advocates and activists, providing the tools, community, and resilience they need to lead lasting change.
Through this dual approach, Linzi strengthens conservation efforts while nurturing a thriving network of grassroots ocean leaders - helping them stay energised, impactful, and deeply connected to nature.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age Podcast and Expert Guest
00:01:04 - Defining Impact Strategy for Purpose-Driven Businesses
00:02:40 - The Importance of Gaining Clarity on a Problem To Solve
00:07:44 - Finding Your Niche in the Ocean Space and Experimentation
00:11:42 - The Importance of Real-World Feedback and Minimum Viable Product
00:16:16 - The Challenge of Saying No to Opportunities to Maintain Focus
00:19:48 - Strategy as a Filter for Decision Making in Impact Ventures
00:20:52 - Practical Frameworks for Building an Impact Strategy
00:28:50 - How to Identify When Your Strategy is Flawed or "Off"
00:30:53 - Measuring Real Impact vs. Misleading "Vanity Metrics"
00:35:01 - Understanding and Avoiding Common Vanity Metrics
00:42:52 - Course Correction and Strategy Adjustment
00:48:50 - "Green Hushing" and Brands' Fear of Greenwashing Accusations
00:52:40 - Balancing Profit with Positive Impact for Financial Sustainability
00:57:07 - Case Study: The Innovative Seaweed Surfboard Project
01:04:17 - Challenges Faced by Ocean Activists and Entrepreneurs
01:06:58 - Advice for Young Professionals
01:13:11 - Upcoming Projects
01:20:00 - The "Stoke" Piece: Importance of Wellness and Fair Pay in Impact Work
01:23:44 - Conclusion and Where to Find More Information
Useful Links & Resources:
Linzi Hawkin: Website and LinkedIn
Protect.Blue: Website
Wavemakers
UnderCurrent
IDEO free courses
Acumen Theory of Change free course
The Seaweed Surfboard Project
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lesha. Sarah Carpenter is our research assistant.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Olly Hicks is a world record-breaking British ocean explorer, motivational speaker, and ocean entrepreneur. Known for his minimalistic, human-powered expeditions, Hicks is the first and currently only person to have rowed solo from America to England, completing this feat in 2005 at the age of 23, making him the youngest person to row any ocean solo. He has spent over 2.5% of his life alone on the ocean, covering more than 7,000 miles on various expeditions since 2005.
Today, Hicks is a co-founder of Algapelago, which operates as the largest UK licensed offshore kelp cultivator. This mariculture business focuses on rewilding oceans and producing sustainable agricultural products through its Blue Forest Programme, aiming to boost marine biodiversity and sequester carbon.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Introduction to Olly: Ocean Explorer & Three-Time World Record Holder.
00:16:00 – Childhood Dreams and Early Inspirations for Ocean Rowing.
05:57:00 – The Most Significant Expedition: Solo Atlantic Crossing.
07:06:00 – Expedition Preparation.
08:04:00 – The Mental Game of Expeditions: Solitude and Adaptation.
10:26:00 – Securing Sponsorship: A Thousand Letters and Key Partnerships.
14:14:00 – Challenges of Sponsorship: Competition and Personal Interest.
16:30:00 – Overcoming Self-Doubt and Embracing "Blind Optimism".
19:46:00 – Learning from Failures: The Attempt to Row Around the World.
20:40:00 – Cultural Outlooks on Failure (UK vs. US) and Startup Mindset.
24:05:00 – Toughest Moments: Preparation Stress and the "Jumping Off" Transition.
27:05:00 – Expeditions as "99% a Mental Game".
28:05:00 – Cherished Moments: Awe in the Wilderness and Gaining Perspective.
30:53:00 – Balancing Risk: Evolving Perspectives with Life Stages.
33:57:00 – The Innate Human Need for Adventure: Treading New Ground.
38:42:00 – Founding Archipelago: Pioneering Offshore Mariculture.
40:46:00 – Similarities Between Leading Expeditions and Entrepreneurship.
44:42:00 – The Solitary and Uncomfortable Nature of Startup Leadership.
46:31:00 – Main Lesson for a Startup Founder: "KBO" (Keep Buggering On).
49:30:00 – The Blue Forest Programme
52:54:00 – Nutrient and Biodiversity Credits to fund ocean regeneration projects
01:05:40 – The "Secret Sauce" of the Seaweed Sector: Diversified Business Models.
01:08:56 – Connecting with Olly and Archipelago
Useful Links:
Olly Hicks: Website, LinkedIn, Wikipedia page.
Algapelago: Website
Blue Forest Programme: Website
Olly’s TEDx Talk “The benefits of risk”
Get in touch The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojša Lešević. Sarah Carpenter is our research assistant.
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Emily Power is the founder of OceanMade, who is bridging the gap between terrestrial agriculture and ocean innovation with her groundbreaking Kelp Pots. Sparked by Bren Smith's seaweed farming feature on '60 Minutes', Emily transitioned from her corporate role at Microsoft to ocean entrepreneurship. After pivoting from an initial sustainable marketplace concept, she discovered her mission while confronting the plastic pollution in her own garden. Drawing on seaweed's remarkable properties, Emily developed biodegradable seed starters that significantly outperform both plastic and existing alternatives. In this episode, Emily shares her winding path from corporate life to sustainable innovation, the challenges of developing Kelp Pots, and the surprising results of her experiments. She offers candid insights about imposter syndrome, the value of communication, and building a business that solves real problems while helping the planet. You will appreciate her insights on market validation, product testing, and communicating complex marine benefits to everyday consumers. This conversation offers valuable perspectives for anyone working to translate ocean innovation into practical, scalable solutions that create both environmental and economic impact. Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Emily's experience at Microsoft
00:06:44 - Most valuable skills learned in corporate life: communication and initiative
00:10:45 - Leaving Microsoft
00:13:50 - First iteration of OceanMade as a sustainable marketplace
00:15:06 - Products must solve problems first, sustainability comes second
00:17:45 - Building your business as your own "utopia"
00:20:35 - Most expensive mistakes: premature branding and imposter syndrome
00:24:50 - How doubt led to thorough research and product validation
00:27:30 - Current focus of OceanMade and Kelp Pots description
00:28:45 - The "eureka" moment that inspired Kelp Pots while gardening
00:30:40 - Problems with existing biodegradable pots in the market
00:33:25 - Research, development and prototyping process
00:35:47 - Breakthrough discovery: complete biodegradation and superior growth
00:39:27 - Moving from MVP to market validation
00:40:47 - Future R&D plans for different seaweed species and applications
00:41:56 - Importance of seeking mentors and support
00:44:31 - Making decisions with limited information and moving forward
00:45:54 - Marketing strategy and pre-sale success
00:49:01 - Using storytelling and the hero's journey in marketing
00:52:06 - Target audience: home gardeners and anyone who wants to grow
00:53:31 - Marketing channels: word of mouth, Reddit, and gardening communities
00:57:31 - Future vision: eliminating plastic from gardening and agriculture
00:59:01 - Challenges with scaling and maintaining sustainability
01:02:26 - Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in sustainable products
01:04:56 - ChatGPT as a research assistant and closing information
Useful Links:
- Emily Power on LinkedIn
- OceanMade and Kelp Pots
- Macro Oceans
- Fun Stuff Designs
- Derek Sivers, author of "Anything You Want"
- Seth Godin, author and marketing expert
- Bren Smith, author of "Eat Like A Fish"
Get in touch The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing him directly at fed@oceanage.co
Send us a text
This is a brief update episode where I share my plans for the direction of the podcast going forward and the thinking behind it.
New episode coming later this month!
In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts; feel free to reach out on social media with your feedback or suggestions for topics you'd like me to cover.
Many thanks, and see you soon.
Best,
Fed
Fed DeGobbi on Linkedin and X.
Sowmya Balendiran is Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer at Sea6 Energy, a pioneer of innovative technologies for sustainable, large-scale and mechanised ocean farming. Sea6 Energy was founded at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras with a vision to develop disruptive solutions to global problems. Sowmya has more than 10 years of executive-level experience in product development, marketing, sales and strategy. She has featured in ‘Top 50 Women in Biotech’ in India as well as in Forbes India’s ’30 under 30’ 2018 special mention in the ‘Science and Green Tech’ category and featured in women pushing boundaries by GP-ORF. Sowmya holds a degree in Biotechnology and an executive program at IIM Calcutta.
Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:24 - The “Why” Behind Sea6 Energy
00:02:44 - Challenges with Land Use for Biofuels
00:06:00 - How Being Based Played a Role India
00:07:21 - Changes in Perspective Over Time
00:09:12 - Key Milestones and Wins
00:10:43 - Current State and Future Goals
00:11:32 - Timeline for Biomaterials
00:13:19 - Balancing Farmer Income and Consumer Costs
00:14:45 - Mechanisation and Productivity
00:16:23 - Logistics Challenges in Seaweed Farming
00:18:12 - Lessons Learned in Mechanisation
00:19:23 - Regulatory and Market Acceptance Challenges
00:21:41 - Regulatory Hurdles in Biostimulants
00:23:10 - Evolution of Mechanisation
00:27:16 - Ownership Models for Mechanisation Tools
00:30:08 - Expansion to Indonesia and Focus on Tropical Seaweeds
00:34:33 - Limited Research on Tropical Seaweeds
00:37:02 - Exciting New Applications and Products
00:39:08 - Importance of Site Selection
00:40:57 - Positive Local Impact in Indonesia
00:43:52 - Increasing Productivity
00:45:17 - Concerns About Mechanisation and Job Loss
00:47:30 - What Not To Learn About Agriculture
00:49:10 - The Link Developing Between Ocean Farming and Land Farming
00:50:12 - Funding And Investments: The Gap Between West and East
00:54:00 - What the West Is Misunderstanding and Underestimating
00:56:18 - The Best and Worst Advice for Algae Entrepreneurs
00:58:57 - Sowmya Biggest Frustration in The Industry
01:01:12 - How to Get In Touch With Sowmya and Sea6
Useful Links:
Sowmya Balendiran on LinkedIn.
Sea6 Energy: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.
Potato Impact Partners: Website, LinkedIn and Instagram
Get in touch Inside Seaweed's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by emailing him directly at fed@insideseaweed.com
Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Danny Matthews is a branding expert with a big vision to solve the world’s biggest problems with creative design and brand strategy. Among his accolades he has been featured in the Huffington Post, BBC Radio, the FSB’s First Voice and has shared a stage with Facebook and Google. In 2019, Danny founded Short Story Ventures, a Venture Studio that helps early-stage founders build a fundable startup brand, gain traction and get to market successfully.
Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:11 - Setting the Scene: Building a Fundable Brand
00:01:26 - What is a Fundable Brand?
00:03:00 - Key Considerations in Setting Up a Brand
00:04:00 - The Concept of Pitching
00:05:00 - Effective Networking Pitches
00:08:00 - Example of an Introductory Pitch
00:10:00 - The BIO Framework: Brand, Investor, Origin Story
00:12:00 - Crafting an Investor Story
00:13:00 - Crafting a Brand Story
00:14:00 - Neuroscience of Buying Decisions
00:17:00 - Common Pitfalls in Building a Brand
00:19:00 - Importance of Obsessing Over the Problem
00:21:00 - Problem-Solution Fit vs. Product-Market Fit
00:23:00 - Traction: Data Plus a Promise
00:24:00 - Guidelines for Crafting the Right Story
00:26:00 - Storytelling Framework: Hero, Problem, Guide
00:28:00 - Real-Life Example: Cold Water Thermometer
00:31:00 - Role of Sustainability in Product Development
00:33:00 - Insights from the Mushroom Industry
00:36:00 - Tactical Advice for Brand Building
00:38:00 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Useful Links:
Danny Matthews on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter
Short Story Venture: Website
Get in touch Inside Seaweed's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by emailing him directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Dr Craig Rose PhD is a marine biologist and the Founder and CEO of Seaweed & Co., the company behind his Doctor Seaweed range of award-winning nutritional supplements. Dr Craig has a degree in Marine Biology, a master’s in Marine Technology and a PhD in Marine Science. Dr Craig started the company in 2015 after working for many years with seaweed on commercial and research projects for various applications - from biofuels to food and nutrition and identified a huge opportunity and need for seaweed.
Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:48 - Focus on Nutraceuticals
00:01:05 - Importance of Personal Brand: Doctor Seaweed
00:03:27 - Launching Doctor Seaweed Supplements
00:03:43 - Reintroducing Seaweed into Modern Diets
00:05:12 - Iodine Deficiency in Modern Diets
00:06:43 - Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency
00:08:04 - Importance of Iodine for Both Genders
00:09:12 - Customer Needs and Product Benefits
00:11:25 - Natural vs. Synthetic Nutrients
00:13:38 - Unexpected Customer Benefits
00:15:17 - Research and Customer Feedback
00:16:13 - Weight Management Benefits
00:17:07 - Target Audience and Customer Persona
00:18:08 - Transition from B2B to B2C
00:19:06 - Challenges in B2C Model
00:20:13 - Validating Product Demand
00:21:34 - Choosing Capsule Format
00:22:36 - Capsule Size and Seaweed Content
00:23:52 - Exploring New Product Formats
00:25:00 - Sponsored Ad: Alvan Blanch
00:25:53 - Market Trends in Wellness and Nutrition
00:27:56 - Leveraging Sustainability in Branding
00:29:29 - Harvesting and Manufacturing Process
00:31:55 - Sales Channels: Direct and Retail
00:33:08 - Approaching Distributors
00:35:31 - Brand and Market Maturity
00:37:25 - Health Benefits of Seaweed
00:39:56 - Promising Areas of Research
00:40:56 - Focus on Specific Seaweed Species
00:41:28 - Lessons Learned and Future Focus
00:43:27 - Saying No to Opportunities
00:44:05 - Regulatory Requirements for Health Claims
00:45:17 - Testing for Contaminants
00:46:34 - Importance of Trust and Credibility
00:47:10 - Final Thoughts and Industry Growth
00:48:08 - Where to Find Dr. Seaweed Products
00:48:36 - Recommended Resources and Events
Useful Links:
Dr Craig Rose on LinkedIn.
Doctor Seaweed: Website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Sponsors and Partners:Alvan Blanch: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
Seagriculture Conference: Website and LinkedIn
Get in touch Inside Seaweed's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by emailing him directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Harry Wright is the Founder and Director of Bright Tide. Harry studied law and practised in the private sector for ten years. It was there he saw the potential to harness the ingenuity and resources of the private sector to help solve global conservation issues, inspiring him to launch Bright Tide. Harry has extensive knowledge of conservation issues, international law and social entrepreneurship, regularly giving lectures and leading workshops for both the private and education sectors. Harry is also the founder of The Conservation Project International, senior board member of Back2Business International, Advisor at Oceanovation, Trustee at the Seahorse Trust and a board member at the United Nations Westminster Association.
Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:00 - Harry's Background and Current Work
00:02:22 - The Reality of Entrepreneurial Success
00:04:45 - Transition from Law to Environmental Focus
00:10:46 - The Role of Legal Advice in Entrepreneurship
00:12:02 - Balancing Profit and Environmental Impact
00:14:10 - Successful Business Models in Seaweed and Blue Economy
00:17:00 - Common Success Factors in Seaweed Businesses
00:20:11 - Potential of Seaweed in Environmental Impact
00:22:38 - Overview of Bright Tide and Its Services
00:27:05 - Support Needs for Entrepreneurs in Seaweed Industry
00:34:03 - Regenerative Farming and Its Importance
00:37:07 - Link Between Aquaculture and Regenerative Farming
00:44:30 - Investment Landscape in Seaweed Industry
Useful Links:Harry Wright on LinkedIn.
Bright Tide: Website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The Regenerative Farming Accelerator Programme
Events:
- Bright Tide Venture Showcase at Barclays' officers on 24th May 2024 in Canary Wharf, London
- Groundswell - The Regenerative Agriculture Festival: 26th-27th June 2024
Sponsors:Alvan Blanch: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Sachi Singh is the Founder and CEO of Rootless. With a decade of experience in international climate change solutions and a Masters in Environmental Management from Yale University, Sachi is well aware of what we’re collectively up against. In seaweed, she found hope! Seaweed is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, and actively regenerates the environment in which it is grown. Yet, most of us don't eat it on a daily basis. Sachi is trying to change that with Rootless and its hero product, The Daily Bite. Since their debut in 2022, The Daily Bites have been helping women and people support hormone health, sustain all-day energy, and nurture their gut health. Today, Sachi is on a mission to build a better food system while empowering millions of women to reclaim their health and feel good about their bodies during major hormonal transitions, including menopause, pregnancy, and beyond - all through seaweed.
Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
Timestamps:
0:00:00 - Intro
0:02:14 - Sachi's turning point towards seaweed
0:06:22 - Overview of seaweed's nutrient composition
0:11:06 - Meaningful insights from recent papers on seaweed health benefits
0:13:27 - Bioactive compounds of particular interest in seaweed
0:15:36 - Iodine in seaweed and its protective qualities
0:21:59 - The role of seaweed in menopause
0:23:11 - Fucoid and fucoxanthin
0:25:31 - Seaweed's prebiotic fibre and potential benefits
0:29:15 - Sachi's experience as an entrepreneur in the seaweed industry
0:33:38 - Rootless's product: The Daily Byte
0:37:35 - Habit stacking and habit replacement strategies
0:42:04 - Unexpected benefits of The Daily Byte
0:46:07 - Development and testing of The Daily Byte recipe
0:47:44 - Challenges of educating consumers about the value of seaweed
0:48:02 - Sachi's goal of positioning seaweed as a solution for women's hormonal health
0:53:17 - Rootless's manufacturing process and challenges
0:58:07 - Rootless's crowdfunding campaign details
1:02:16 - Trends in the health space where seaweed could become a compelling solution
1:04:47 - Proving health claims and regulations in the nutraceutical industry
1:08:26 - Resources for learning more about seaweed and health
1:09:20 - Upcoming events related to seaweed and health
1:09:39 - Final message and how to get in touch
Useful Links:Rootless crowdfunding campaign: learn more here!
Sachi Singh on LinkedIn and Instagram
Rootless: Website, Blog, Instagram.
Seaweed For Health Conference (22th-24th May 2024, Cork, Ireland): learn more and register here!
Resources:
Sachi recommended the book "Seaweeds – Edible, Available, and Sustainable" by Ole Mouritsen.
Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Andrew Wilkinson is Seafood Specialist and Chef Director of Research and Development at North Coast Seafoods.
He is a chef with a deep love for fresh ingredients and a passion for creating exciting, delicious food for people to enjoy every day. He developed this passion from a young age, working on the lobster docks in Maine and watching his mother cook traditional New England meals. Wilkinson is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and has extensive international experience, having worked in Germany and Japan. He has also served on the US Culinary Olympic Team. Throughout his career, Wilkinson has worked as a chef and partner at Skipjack's Restaurant Group and as the executive chef of the Rainbow Room in New York City. Currently, he is on a mission to promote healthy eating for children by introducing sustainable seafood options, including seaweed, to school menus. He believes that seaweed is a healthy and underutilized ingredient, and is always looking for innovative ways to incorporate it into his dishes.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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00:00 - Intro
00:18 - Chef Andrew Wilkinson's Background
00:51 - Availability of Episode on Video
01:24 - How the Host and Andrew Met
02:03 - The Role of Chefs at Kelp Conferences
03:06 - Andrew's First Encounter with Seaweed
04:13 - Andrew's Mission with North Coast Seafoods
05:20 - The Turning Point for Andrew's Kelp Journey
06:43 - Andrew's Previous Work with Non-Mainstream Ingredients
08:49 - The Plan for Kelp Development During COVID
11:09 - Making Kelp the Centre of the Plate
13:52 - The Development Process for Kelp Products
15:14 - The Importance of Making Kelp Centre of Plate
16:39 - Team Involvement in Kelp Product Development
18:10 - Lessons Learned from Product Development Phase
19:57 - Choosing the Burger as the Main Product
20:50 - The Formula for Kelp Meatballs and Burgers
22:29 - The Role of Schools in Kelp Product Adoption
24:08 - The Story Behind Choosing the Burger
25:01 - Differences in Formulas for School Products
26:29 - Challenges of Working with Schools
27:59 - Regulations Around Using Kelp in Food
30:29 - The Role of Taste, Health, and Environment in Product Success
32:12 - The Role of Chefs in Championing Seaweed
35:40 - The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing Seaweed
37:09 - Educational Collaboration in Schools
39:57 - The Impact of the Green Plate Club
42:33 - The Future of Kelp Products and Education
44:01 - The Role of Chefs in Seaweed Innovation
46:16 - The Importance of Marketing and Storytelling
49:09 - Andrew's Future Plans and Ambitions
52:08 - Potential for Other Underutilized Seaweed Species
54:43 - Closing Remarks and Invitation to Try Kelp Meatballs
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Useful Links:
Andrew Wilkinson on LinkedIn
North Coast Seafoods: Website, LinkedIn,
Simon Davis is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of SEADLING, a seaweed biotechnology startup, that has been leading innovation in the seaweed sector in South East Asia since 2018. Simon has been active in the seaweed industry for 8 years, serves on the advisory board of UN Global Compact’s Safe Seaweed Coalition and is a passionate advocate for the pivotal role that seaweed will play as a source of new materials for a sustainable future whilst combatting carbon and restoring abundance to our oceans.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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01:01 - Simon's Career Break and Sailing Journey
02:05 - Discovering Seaweed During Travels
03:46 - Simon's Deep Dive into the Seaweed Industry
05:08 - The State of Seaweed Farming in Southeast Asia
07:44 - Innovation Gaps in the Seaweed Industry
08:05 - Comparing Asia vs. Europe/North America
09:37 - The Scale and Potential of Seaweed Farming in Southeast Asia
10:09 - Opportunities for Innovation
11:02 - Exploring New Seaweed Species and Applications
11:56 - The Role of Local and International Stakeholders
12:57 - Bridging the Gap between East and West
14:08 - Learning from China
15:24 - The Future of Seaweed Cultivation
16:18 - The Potential of Equatorial Seaweed Farming
17:10 - Lessons from Asia
18:00 - The Importance of Diversification in Seaweed Products
19:11 - Seedling's Focus on Pet Food Ingredients
20:36 - The Role of Seaweed in Animal Feed and Biostimulants
21:22 - The Future Directions of the Seaweed Industry
22:13 - Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
23:01 - Simon's Call for Talent at Seedling
24:05 - Avoiding Past Mistakes in Seaweed Industry Development
25:06 - The Need for Diversification and Resilience
26:02 - Potential Contributions from Global Entrepreneurs
27:42 - The Challenges of Innovating in Southeast Asia
29:30 - The Importance of Expanding into more Applications
30:14 - Quality Standards and Certifications
31:18 - Seedling's Approach to Innovation
32:06 - Developing Seaweed-Based Products
33:22 - Seedling's Farming Partnerships and Supply Chain
34:06 - Research and Innovation in Tropical Seaweeds
36:16 - The Importance of Building Relationships in Asia
37:37 - Seedling's Focus on Pet Food and Biostimulants
38:58 - Seedling's Product Development and Market Expansion
40:19 - Exploring New Seaweed Species and Varieties
41:07 - The Potential of Red Seaweeds
42:05 - Opportunities in Red Seaweed Applications
43:27 - Encouraging Global Entrepreneurs to Explore Red Seaweeds
44:08 - Seedling's Call for Talent Across Various Roles
45:21 - How to Connect with Seedling
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Useful Links:
Simon Davis on LinkedIn
SEADLING: Website, LinkedIn and Email
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Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@ins
Courtney Boyd Myers (Founder & CEO of AKUA) is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, writer, and new Mama to Romy Ocean. Prior to launching AKUA, she helped build the Summit Community, a global network of founders, creatives, and innovators. Previously, she helped market companies such as Four Sigmatic and Unframed Ice Cream. She began her career as a journalist at Forbes Magazine and The Next Web and has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She currently serves as an advisor to GreenWave.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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2:55 Seaweed and food a one possible solution for climate change and environmental crisis
5:10 The spark and hopes behind starting a food brand, Akua.
10:30 Bringing an innovative product into the market: Akua's story and key lessons.
14:00 The Kelp Beta Burger Club: how Akua engaged with their audience and learn what they wanted.
17:05 How to build a successful food brand - advice for startups.
18:25 Does sustainability drives why consumers buy products?
21:10 Measuring positive environmental impact for a food brand.
22:15 Marketing and storytelling: how Akua's message and strategy evolved.
35:05 The risk in forcing the climate and sustainability message.
36:55 Dos, Don’ts and practical advice for entrepreneurs starting a food business.
42:00 Potential for using different seaweed species and regenerative food sources.
43:05 The importance of simplification where the seaweed supply chain is so complicated.
44:15 How our brain works around food and how to change perception.
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Useful Links:
Courtney's presentation given at Seagriculture in Portland.
Courtney Boyd Myers: LinkedIn, Website, Blog, Twitter.
Akua: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook.
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Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
*
Next year Seagriculture conferences:
Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it i
Matthew is the Founder and CEO of Macro Oceans, a startup transforming seaweed into low-carbon chemicals for use in materials, cosmetics, food, and many other applications. Matthew is an experienced technology entrepreneur, having built and sold his first company, Yield Pop, to The Climate Corporation. He has more than a decade of experience in terrestrial agriculture and was the first business hire at Inari, a gene-editing technology company, where he helped raise over $100M in venture capital funding.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[2:20] Matthew's ambitions and motivations at the outset of his career.
[3:55] Early career in terrestrial agriculture: Syngenta, Yield Pop, The Climate Corporation, Inari.
[7:30] Lessons in bringing technology to terrestrial agriculture.
[9:50] Main differences and similarities between land farming and ocean farming.
[13:25] Learning from other industries to innovate and solve problems in seaweed.
[14:44] The genesis of Macro Oceans and the consideration in starting the company.
[20:50] Macro Oceans business model and role in the industry.
[25:15] Product strategy, the importance of profitability and optimising unit economics.
[27:45] The role of technology in addressing some of the industry's pain point.
[32:00] The cosmetic industry as an interesting application for seaweed.
[34:00] Possible opportunities and challenges in developing nutraceuticals.
[35:10] The supply chain in the cosmetic industry, the importance of brands and storytelling.
[38:30] The trend of brands trying to simplify and "clean up" their labels.
[40:20] Adopting solutions from terrestrial agriculture that are missing in seaweed.
[43:15] Final thoughts
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Useful Links:
Matthew Perkins: LinkedIn
Macro Oceans: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Newsletter and email at hello@macro-oceans.com
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Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it is a unique experience – a limited edition. Join the exclusive site visit to Ocean Rainforest: It will be a full-day trip to explore their facilities, experience a scenic drive on the Faroe Islands and gain
Californian designer Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a venture-backed materials company which produces compostable packaging made from seaweed. Julia's work is inspired by a lifelong affection for the ocean, and the belief that designers must take part in solving the planet’s greatest challenges. Sway is on a mission to replenish the planet by supporting healthy ocean ecosystems, eliminating plastic waste, and creating a more inclusive climate movement.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[1:05] Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize.
[7:55] Supply chain: sourcing ingredients and seaweed species.
[14:00] The price of raw seaweed biomass and materials.
[15:20] Using non-food grade biomass and benefits for farmers.
[17:00] Current and future challenges in supplying seaweed biomass and materials.
[20:40] Thoughts around the flow of information within the industry.
[24:50] Opportunities and untapped potential for entrepreneurs.
[28:35] Considering the holistic value of seaweed in developing subsidies and policies.
[31:35] Design as key factor behind Sway's success.
[32:40] Imagining a positive and exiting future and how this could be communicated.
[35:00] How those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
[36:25] What will drive B2B customers to adopt bioplastic in future.
[42:05] Competitors and competitive advantage of seaweed-based bioplastic.
[43:40] Biological circularity and how it can be applied to seaweed and bioplastic.
[46:35] Partnering with small-scale seaweed farmers.*
Useful Links:Julia Marsh: LinkedInSway: Website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize
Macro Oceans: website
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Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
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Next year Seagriculture conferences:
Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it is a unique experience – a limited edition. Join the exclusive site visit to Ocean Rainforest: It will be a full-day trip to explore their facilities, experience a scenic drive on the Faroe Islands and gain insights from captivating presentations.
Register until 1 December with Late Bird rates at www.seagriculture.eu
Seagriculture
Arctic Seaweed is on a mission to transform seaweed cultivation with disruptive technology. As Strategic Advisor, Matthias Boeing is assisting the company to build a strategy for scaling up. He's studied International Business and Strategic Management at the University of York, after which he gained important experience in management consulting and digital transformation. He then took what he calls an "Ocean Sabbatical" that lead him to finally combine his background and skills with his passion for the ocean.Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com [1:40] Highlights from Day 1 of Seagriculture Conference EU 2023. [2:50] Learning from the software industry how to test and iterate.[6:00] The blueprint for building partnerships in the seaweed industry.[9:55] Challenges in attracting capital investment for seaweed supply chain.[12:50] The concept of Seaweed As A Service: a framework for partnership.[19:50] Seaweed farming and offshore wind: announced collaboration with Simply Blue Group.[24:45] How technology could disrupt seaweed farming and allow scaling up.[29:30] The need to show a path to profitability in order to survive.[32:00] Opportunities for new entrants in the industry.[33:30] Digital transformation and using data. [37:30] How to integrated ecosystem services.[40:45] Why the seaweed industry must succeed in this "make or break" moment.Useful Links:Matthias Boeing: LinkedInArctic Seaweed: Website, LinkedIn and email at hello@aseaweed.comGet in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Kaly is a natural capital operating platform whose mission is to scale the production of regeneratively farmed seaweed in Scotland and develop new routes to market through higher-value processing using a community-based approach.
Co-Founder of Kaly, Daniel Hillman is an experienced impact investor and entrepreneur, most recently as Director of Investments and Business Development for Waterfund, a private investment firm he helped create focused on solving global water scarcity through investments in technology and infrastructure. In this capacity, Daniel built and scaled a water desalination and distribution business in the Middle East and led venture capital investments within food and ag-tech companies in the United States. Prior to Waterfund Daniel worked at Hanson Asset Management in London, advising family offices on direct investments with a real assets focus. He also advises closely-held businesses in the UK and the US on implementing growth and M&A strategies.
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Check out Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
[3:00] Expectations from Seagriculture Conference.
[4:45] The steep learning curve to join the seaweed industry.
[5:50] Bridging the gap between finance and the seaweed industry.
[8:00] How nature dictates what a sustainable growth would look like.
[9:50] Challenges and frustration worth "throwing money at".
[12:20] What Kaly is not going to do and what they will rely on partners.
[14:10] Moving from vertical integration to specialisation in a mature industry.
[17:30] Establishing a network of commercial agreements with local creel fishermen.
[23:00] Kaly's products and who is going to buy them.
[24:55] "Big Ag" getting interested about seaweed.
[26:10] Biostimulant trial set-up and what Kaly is hoping to learn.
[30:05] Nutrient credits as a way to create an extra income stream.
[36:00] Final thoughts about enthusiasm and passion in the industry.
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Useful Links:
Daniel Hillman: Linkedin
Kaly Group: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
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Get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Special thanks to my brother Riccardo, who made this episode possible by travelling with me to Trondheim (Norway), acting as technical director and helping hugely in making sure that both live interviews went as smoothly as they did.
GreenWave trains and supports regenerative ocean farmers in the era of climate change, working with coastal communities to create a blue economy—built and led by ocean farmers.
Sam Garwin leads GreenWave’s efforts to establish reliable, accessible, and equitable markets for seaweed farmers. Her work includes business development and organizing support for regional farmer networks, research and infrastructure pilots to address post-harvest bottlenecks, and value chain coordination to cultivate a resilient ecosystem of businesses to get seaweed from seed to sale. Since 2019, Sam has led the buildout of Seaweed Source, GreenWave’s direct buyer engagement program and digital tool, growing the network to over 50 buyers across nine U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and facilitating forward contracts for over 400,000 lbs of kelp.
Sam draws on more than a decade of experience building sustainable supply chains and socially responsible business models. Before joining GreenWave, Sam developed market-based solutions for regenerative food companies through her consulting firm, 5th Quarter Foods. She was previously the CEO of Fleishers, a pioneer of pasture-raised whole-animal retail butchery; and an early employee of Maya Mountain Cacao, a social enterprise dedicated to direct-trade organic cocoa bean sourcing. Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Science and Biology from Cornell University.
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Check out the Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[1:20] Why do most seaweed entrepreneurs have a part-time job?
[4:30] Cultivating multiple species.
[5:50] How to start a seaweed business that works.
[9:45] Sharing risk and reward with farmers
[11:10] Other initial considerations, specific to the type of business.
[14:10] Are product and market introductions lagging behind expectations?
[16:10] Similarities between seaweed farming and agriculture. What can be learnt and replicated?
[23:00] How to collaboratively co-create value across the entire supply chain.
[25:30] Tools and support for seaweed entrepreneurs.
[26:10] Main benefits in joining an incubator/accelerator
[28:45] Scaling up the industry while still allowing small business to join and thrive
[30:15] Abandon scarcity mindset: focus less on price reduction and more on value creating.
[31:20] How could we make seaweed a "cash crop"?
[36:30] More on how to avoid repeating the mistakes of land agriculture.
[37:35] High margin Vs. Low margin products - considerations for seaweed entrepreneurs.
[43:50] Listening to the customer, being willing to test and pivot.
[49:20] Seaweed Source: GreenWave's new "dating" app for the seaweed industry.
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Useful Links:
Sam Garwin: LinkedIn, Twitter and Website
GreenWave: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub
Seaweed Source app: Where Supply Meets Demand
Other companies and organisations mentioned in the Show: Atlantic Sea Farms, Akua, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, SeaAhead, Hatch, Investable Oceans, Local Catch, Launch Alaska.
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Inside Seaweed's host is Fed DeGobbi, get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or directly via email. Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Vincent Doumeizel is Senior Adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact as well as director of the Food Programme at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Author of a new book titled "The Seaweed Revolution" which officially launched in the UK in May 2023, Vincent has in recent years devoted himself to promoting a food revolution and environmental solutions based on sea resources, especially seaweed. He also played an instrumental role in the creation and development of the Global Seaweed Coalition.
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Check out the Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[1:40] Book launch of The Seaweed Revolution at the National History Museum in London.
[4:00] Goals and expectations for the book and its unexpected impact so far.
[11:30] Lessons and takeaways from researching and writing this book.
[15:00] European culture and the West's lost connection with seaweed and the ocean.
[19:50] Why is nobody making money from seaweed, yet?
[25:55] Adjustments and contingencies to put in place when starting a seaweed business.
[27:45] Biorefining as key path toward profitability.
[32:15] How to collaborate within the framework of the Global Seaweed Coalition.
[38:50] Licencing issue and lack of science as biggest obstacles for the industry.
[42:00] Seaweed application in the food industry: a model that could work for Europe.
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Useful Links:
Vincent Doumeizel on LinkedIn and Twitter
United Nations Global Compact: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Global Seaweed Coalition : Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Lloyd's Register Foundation: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
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Inside Seaweed's host is Fed DeGobbi, get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or directly via email. Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Simon Johansson is the CEO of Nordic SeaFarm and has been working in the aquaculture industry for 5+ years and has a strong passion for the ocean. With a background from Management Consulting and working in the Middle East, North America and Europe he has acquired strong knowledge from various cultures and companies now being applied to scale up Nordic SeaFarm to become the pioneering seaweed company in Europe going forward.
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Check out the Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[1:05] Seaweed home-made pesto recipe.
[3:12] The global food crisis and how the ocean can play a role.
[6:10] Problem-solution fit, what is the problem we are trying to solve?
[8:50] Developing a downstream market for seaweed-based food products.
[15:40] Beyond taste, using seaweed as a functional ingredient in food products.
[21:20] Changing public perception about a new crop.
[23:00] Disrupting the food industry with innovative seaweed products.
[29:20] Vertical integration Vs. Specialisation.
[33:15] Product innovation and focusing on the customer.
[35:35] Growing other species of seaweed beyond kelp.
[36:20] How to enter the seaweed industry and have positive impact.
[37:00] Pursuing product-market fit. Testing, metrics and product development.
[42:20] Need for expertise in developing tasty but industrialised.
[43:45] The importance of lowering price and the risk of making seaweed a commodity.
[46:50] Collaboration and competition
[47:50] Opportunities in growing and using high value species such as sea lettuce and dulse
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Useful Links:
Simon Johansson on LinkedIn
Nordic SeaFarm: Website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
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Inside Seaweed's host is Fed DeGobbi, get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or directly via email. Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Steven Hermans is the founder of Phyconomy, the platform on a mission to improve the flow of information in the seaweed industry. Phyconomy is currently doing so through a blog, a newsletter, a database of seaweed organisations and an annual report called State of the Seaweed Industry, which has been referenced on newspapers like the...
The post Inside Seaweed #14: Phyconomy with Steven Hermans – Separating signal from noise, unsupported hype Vs. unnecessary pessimism, serving a niche and the feasibility of a knowledge-based business in seaweed. first appeared on Inside Seaweed.
The post Inside Seaweed #14: Phyconomy with Steven Hermans – Separating signal from noise, unsupported hype Vs. unnecessary pessimism, serving a niche and the feasibility of a knowledge-based business in seaweed. appeared first on Inside Seaweed.
This episode was created as part of Inside Seaweed's partnership with Seagriculture Conference.
Olavur Gregersen is co-founder and CEO of Ocean Rainforest, one of the largest seaweed cultivation companies in Europe which also operates in California. Olavur has more than 20 years' experience as an entrepreneur and international speaker, primarily focused on seaweed cultivation and growth in the blue bioeconomy. He will be keynote speaker during Seagriculture Conference EU 2023 (June 21st-22nd in Trondheim, Norway), where he will discuss the financial ecosystem to enable scaling-up seaweed cultivation.
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Check out the Inside Seaweed Newsletter! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at anytime.
Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to insideseaweed.com
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[1:38] Introduction to Ocean Rainforest
[3:13] Customer segments and the seaweed value chain
[6:05] Seaweed application in the dairy sector
[8:03] Seaweed as functional feed additive, and its benefits
[9:58] Finding customers for your seaweed biomass
[14:22] Cultivating in large scale in California
[17:00] Seagriculture Conference EU 2023
[21:52] The financial ecosystem to enable scaling-up
Useful Links:
Olavur Gregersen on LinkedIn and Twitter
Ocean Rainforest: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Seagriculture Conferece EU - June 21st and 22nd 2023 in Trondheim, Norway. (Follow on LinkedIn)
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Inside Seaweed's host is Fed DeGobbi, get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, or directly via email. Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
Silje Forbord is Research Manager at SINTEF Oceans. Silje has 15 years' seaweed cultivation experience from land-based hatchery and field work, including integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). She holds a PhD in cultivation of sugar kelp with focus on nitrogen uptake kinetics, growth characteristics and chemical composition.
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SINTEF Ocean is an independent research organisation basedin Norway, which over the past 15 years has conducted around 60 projects onvarious aspects of seaweed cultivation and utilization.
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[08:30] Producing seaweed biomass that nobody wants to buy.
[09:25] The equipment you can’t buy in store
[10:20] How funding availability influences which research projects are pursued.
[12:35] Upscaling and why the seaweed industry is not profitable, yet.
[13:55] Need to pay more attention to finding the right location for seaweed farming.
[17:25] Coastal farming Vs. Offshore farming.
[20:50] Innovation needed to achieve upscaling.
[25:10] Cost is holding back faster progress.
[26:50] Market development has been overlooked.
[28:40] Year-round supply and diversification into different species.
[32:20] What can we learn from Asia? Is there enough collaboration?
[36:40] Seagriculture Conference EU.
[39:20] Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture.
[46:40] Areas where more research is needed.
[48:00] Final thoughts.
Useful Links:Silje Forbord on LinkedIn
SINTEF Ocean: Website, LinkedIn
Seagriculture Conferece EU - June 21st and 22nd 2023 in Trondheim, Norway. (Follow on LinkedIn)
Fionnuala Quin is the Founder CEO of Kelpy, a start-up working to create a reliable and ethical bioplastic replacement for the single use packaging items currently choking our oceans worldwide.
The daughter of a fisherman, Fionnuala is no stranger to aquaculture and its challenges. Her positive vision of the future is not just driven by her drive to create a positive impact, but it is also supported by a deep understanding of the industry and what it takes to succeed with a seaweed business.
Some of the key points covered in our conversation are as follows:
- How to choose the right product among the wide range of seaweed applications
- How to bring innovation in an emerging and disruptive industry
- Market research and validating a business idea
- The importance of market pull to get out of the lab and drive positive outcomes
- Finding the right partners to build the business
- Climate change and the seaweed industry: Fionnuala’s vision for the future
- The role of seaweed bioplastics and using the soil as a carbon sink
Useful Links:
Fionnuala Quin on LinkedIn
Kelpy: Website, LinkedIn
The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz: book and Ted Talk
2040 (documentary)
Green Eco Technologies
Liz MacDonald is the Seaweed Supply and Advancement Manager at Atlantic Sea Farms. Liz has been farming the Gulf of Maine (US) since 2016, cultivating native mussels, scallops and kelp. Her detailed and practical knowledge of seaweed production is absolutely incredible.
Liz has collaborated with researchers and is a published author in multiple scientific journals, presenting her research nationally. She is responsible for Atlantic Sea Farms’ farming partnerships and helps a growing community of ocean farmers.
In this very informative episode, she painted an in-depth picture of seaweed supply on the east coast of the United States. This included:
- Learnings from on-the-job experience
- Practical tips as a seaweed farmers
- Trainings paths to become a seaweed farmer and learning resources
- Best practices and equipment out on the farm
- Costs and challenges associated with farming
- Processing and logistics
- Opportunities for innovation
- Social and environmental considerations
Useful Links:
Liz MacDonald on LinkedIn
Atlantic Sea Farms: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Gulf of Maine Research Institute - Aquaculture Projects
University of Maine
Sea Grant
Is the era of automation and AI coming to the seaweed industry? I try to answer this question in my conversation with one of the pioneers of automation and mechanisation in the sector. Here is a short trailer of this episode: click here Among the many topics discussed on this episode, here are some that...
The post Inside Seaweed #9: Sirputis & SoftSeaweed with Morten Kroslin – How automation and AI could revolutionise the seaweed industry, new processing technologies, the benefits of using data and specialised software. first appeared on Inside Seaweed.
The post Inside Seaweed #9: Sirputis & SoftSeaweed with Morten Kroslin – How automation and AI could revolutionise the seaweed industry, new processing technologies, the benefits of using data and specialised software. appeared first on Inside Seaweed.
Joost Wouters is the Founder & SeaEO of The Seaweed Company. We started our conversation by unpacking the milestones of his journey from a corporate career to becoming an entrepreneur “hooked on seaweed” and on a mission to “make seaweed visible”. Among the many topics discussed on this episode, here are some that you might...
The post Inside Seaweed #8: The Seaweed Company with Joost Wouters – Stepping up professionalisation, building a company as a platform, true collaboration Vs. secrecy, and going from corporate career to seaweed entrepreneur. first appeared on Inside Seaweed.
The post Inside Seaweed #8: The Seaweed Company with Joost Wouters – Stepping up professionalisation, building a company as a platform, true collaboration Vs. secrecy, and going from corporate career to seaweed entrepreneur. appeared first on Inside Seaweed.
These "seaweed bites" will be some of my favorite bits, extracted from previous episodes of Inside Seaweed.
This one is from episode #1: Dr. Thierry Chopin - Seaweed role as climate solution, Hype vs. Science, the carbon in your ketchup and sinking seaweed to the deep ocean.
In case you missed it, here is a link to the Full Episode.
In this first episode, I talk with Dr Thierry Chopin, a professor of Marine Biology and huge global expert on seaweed cultivation (full bio below). He has worked on seaweed for more than 40 years and has published over 250 papers, including the recent “Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?”. We talk about his concerns around the risks associated with overinflating seaweed’s role as a climate solution, but also his vision for a “bright future” in the seaweed industry.
Useful Links:
Dr Chopin's company, the Turquoise Revolution
Dr Chopin's LinkedIn profile
Dr Chopin's recent paper: "Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?"
Video of the ice bucket challenge on youtube and loads of other interviews and media with Dr Chopin
The team at Magellan Aqua Farms
Dr. Thierry Chopin's Bio:
Dr. Thierry Chopin's was born and educated in France (PhD from the University of Western Brittany, Brest). He moved to Canada in 1989 and is Professor of Marine Biology at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. He is also the President of two companies: Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc. and Turquoise Revolution Inc.
His research focuses on the ecophysiology, biochemistry and cultivation of seaweeds of commercial value and the development of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems for increased environmental sustainability, economic diversification and societal acceptability.
Dr. Chopin promotes a greener Blue Economy, the Turquoise Economy, in which ecosystem services, provided in particular by extractive aquaculture (seaweeds and invertebrates), are recognized, valued and used as financial and regulatory incentives, through nutrient trading credits, within a circular economy approach.
This episode covers all things wild harvesting, as I am joined by Peter Elbourne from SHORE Seaweed.
We took a very insightful deep dive into the advantages and disadvantages of wild harvesting and looked at the differences when compared to seaweed farming. Peter’s extraordinary experience allowed us to go into detail and discuss both the technical/operational side (e.g. access to different species, site selection, etc.) and the differences in terms economical and business management aspects (e.g. costs, product development options, competitive advantage). We also looked at the possible role of wild harvesting for the future of the industry, with particular focus on sustainability.
Useful Links:
Peter Elbourne on LinkedIn
SHORE Seaweed's website
SHORE on Instagram
SHORE on Twitter
SHORE on Facebook
Peter Elbourne's bio:
Peter Elbourne is Managing Director of Supply and Operations at New Wave Foods. Trading as SHORE Seaweed, the company is a leading harvester, farmer and processor in Scotland. They supply organic seaweed direct to businesses for a wide range of applications and create innovative food products under their breakthrough retail brand SHORE. Peter trained as a marine biologist, completing his BSc at Bangor in North Wales and his PhD at Newcastle. He worked in community sustainability projects over a number of years. A consultancy project on business development led to the original idea to process seaweed in 2012. He began working full-time on seaweed in 2015 when the company was founded. He lives in the Highlands, roughly in between the company’s wild harvest sites in Caithness in the far north of Scotland and their farm site in Argyll on the West Coast.
Bren Smith is the industry pioneer behind "Eat Like A Fish - My adventures as a fisherman turned restorative ocean farmer". A former commercial fisherman, Bren went through a journey of ecological redemption by turning into a regenerative ocean farmer, and co-founder of the non-profit GreenWave - a global network of farmers, entrepreneurs, and researchers, focused on building community-based climate solutions out at sea, through collaboration and innovation. Check out Bren's full bio below.
In this episode, Bren takes me through his thoughts, mistakes and experience. From the political to the extremely technical, from the huge obstacles to the amazing opportunities, he paints an exciting vision for the future of the seaweed industry.
The conversation covers several topics, including pollution farming, climate change, economic inequality, the Wall Street framework of the unicorn, creating a story for the new era, the solution movement, the role of individuals, the economic models and technical innovation.
Useful Links:Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures Farming the Ocean to Fight Climate Change
GreenWave
GreenWave: Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub
GreenWave: Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub - GET STARTED
www.insideseaweed.com
Mastermind Group: www.insideseaweed.com/group Bren Smith's full bio:Bren Smith, GreenWave Co-Executive Director and Owner of Thimble Island Ocean Farm, pioneered the development of regenerative ocean farming. A lifelong commercial fisherman, he was named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “25 People Shaping the Future” and featured in TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2017”. Bren is the winner of the Buckminster Fuller Prize and the Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize and has been profiled by 60 Minutes, CNN, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and elsewhere. He is an Ashoka, Castanea, and Echoing Green Climate Fellow and James Beard Award-winning author of Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures Farming the Ocean to Fight Climate Change.
Welcome back to another episode, where this time we hear from Amabel Hamilton, Co-founder and Director at GreenSea Solutions Ltd.
During our conversation, Amabel paints a really promising and detailed picture of producing fertiliser from sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), the exciting environmental benefits and the potential that this holds for the future of the seaweed industry.
Useful Links:
GreenSea Solutions' website
GreenSea Solutions on LinkedIn
Amabel Hamilton on Linkedin
Tangled Greens' website
Tangled Greens on Instagram
Books (mentioned during the episodes):
Eat Like A Fish by Bren Smith - My adventures as a fisherman turned restorative ocean farmer.
Amabel Hamilton's bio:
Amabel co-founded GreenSea Solutions, one of Scotland’s foremost seaweed farming companies, in 2018. Prior to this, she worked in publishing and spent time as a Researcher at a London think-tank, writing policy recommendations on sustainable issues including green energy and housing solutions. Following a successful first two seasons developing their farm system in Loch Sunart, Ardnamurchan, GreenSea Solutions will relaunch this Autumn under the new name Atlantic Mariculture, signifying the company’s progression to become the UK’s leading producer of organic seaweed fertiliser, made solely using kelp cultivated in Scotland.
In an episode entirely dedicated to newcomers to the seaweed industry, I talk to Rhianna Rees, Seaweed Academy Coordinator at SAMS (Scottish Association for Marine Science). Rhianna’s full bio can be found below.
Whether you want to become a seaweed entrepreneur, you’re thinking about getting started as a seaweed farmer, a researcher or maybe an investor, this episode is probably for you.
Rhianna takes me through of all the steps involved with cultivating and processing seaweed, from the initial considerations (before you even get started), all the way to transforming fresh seaweed into a sustainable product:
- What is the Seaweed Academy and who is it for
- Key business consideration before getting started
- Barriers to entry
- Licensing
- Farm design and site selection
- Nursery & Deployment
- Cultivation and Harvest
- Processing
- Economics
- Routes to market
- Product development
The result is a great introduction and an ideal place to start if you are beginning of your exploration into the seaweed industry.
Useful Links:
The Seaweed Academy's website
Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) website
Rhianna Rees on Linkedin
Rhianna’s bio:
Seaweed researcher, passionate about the growth and expansion of the seaweed industry and its role in a rapidly developing blue economy. Author of the thesis 'seaweed is sexy: the consumption and utilisation of seaweed throughout British history and the marketing that surrounds it', with specific expertise in seaweed history and challenges in marketing.
Here is my wide-ranging conversation with Mike Williamson, one of the first seaweed farmers in north America and the CEO of Cascadia Seaweed, of the largest provider of ocean cultivated seaweed in North America (full bio below).
He told me some really compelling stories about starting as a pioneer seaweed farmer and entrepreneur in British Columbia (Canada). Cascadia Seaweed decided early on to start farming their own seaweed and then focus on 3 main verticals: seaweed for making plant-based food products (e.g. seaweed snacks), feed additives for cows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, extracting chemicals and dietary supplements from seaweed in a sustainable way.
We looked into the importance of scale and the role of small businesses in the seaweed industry, with some great advice for seaweed entrepreneurs.
Mike shared his experience and learnings with the branding aspects of developing seaweed products, testing them and bringing them to market - covering topics such as changing people perception and expanding the consumer acceptance and awareness of seaweed.
We then launched into a deep dive around seaweed processing: from harvesting, freezing and extracting ingredients (bio-refining). He explained how seaweed doesn’t behave like any other land-based vegetables and the challenges that this brings to the processing stages, creating a need for specialised machinery and innovation in this area, which is strongly supported by collaboration with other seaweed entrepreneurs.
Useful Links:
Cascadia Seaweed's website
Cascadia Seaweed's on LinkedIn
Mike Williamson on Linkedin
Seaweed Around The Clock
Books (mentioned during the episodes):
Slime by Ruth Kassinger - How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us Paperb
Mike Williamson's bio:
Mike is a founding partner and the CEO of Cascadia Seaweed. Mike has had a long relationship with the sea. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he proudly served in the Royal Canadian Navy for over thirty years. He had a number of shore-based, sea-going (under-sea) and overseas postings, culminating with three years as Commander of Canada’s west coast Naval Base. In the last ten years, he has been an entrepreneur and leader of a number of marine oriented companies encompassing energy, security, education and the environment. Mike brings this experience, along with a BSc (Math/Physics) and an MBA, to his current role.
Carlo Fedeli is the CEO and cofounder of FlexSea, a startup developing alternative packaging materials from seaweed, in order to replace single use flexible plastic packaging.
In this episode, we talk about how first-hand experience of plastic pollutions pushed Carlo to turn to seaweed for a solution. We cover topics such as legislation, carbon credits and the differences between seaweed bioplastic and other plant-based bioplastics. We also look into how to influence public perception towards seaweed, how to source seaweed, the role of biorefineries and the future opportunities coming from strong collaboration between different players in the industry.
Useful Links:
FlexSea website
FlexSea Contact page, where you can also sign up to the newsletter ("The Harvest")
FlexSea on LinkedIn
Carlo Fedeli's LinkedIn profile
The Safe Seaweed coalition
Seaweed for Europe
In this first episode, I talk with Dr Thierry Chopin, a professor of Marine Biology and huge global expert on seaweed cultivation (full bio below). He has worked on seaweed for more than 40 years and has published over 250 papers, including the recent “Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?”. We talk about his concerns around the risks associated with overinflating seaweed’s role as a climate solution, but also his vision for a “bright future” in the seaweed industry.
Useful Links:
Dr Chopin's company, the Turquoise Revolution
Dr Chopin's LinkedIn profile
Dr Chopin's recent paper: "Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?"
Video of the ice bucket challenge on youtube and loads of other interviews and media with Dr Chopin
The team at Magellan Aqua Farms
Dr. Thierry Chopin's Bio:
Dr. Thierry Chopin's was born and educated in France (PhD from the University of Western Brittany, Brest). He moved to Canada in 1989 and is Professor of Marine Biology at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. He is also the President of two companies: Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc. and Turquoise Revolution Inc.
His research focuses on the ecophysiology, biochemistry and cultivation of seaweeds of commercial value and the development of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems for increased environmental sustainability, economic diversification and societal acceptability.
Dr. Chopin promotes a greener Blue Economy, the Turquoise Economy, in which ecosystem services, provided in particular by extractive aquaculture (seaweeds and invertebrates), are recognized, valued and used as financial and regulatory incentives, through nutrient trading credits, within a circular economy approach.