Fishermen, scientists, chefs, and seafood fans descended on the Maine coast earlier this month for the 8th annual Maine Seaweed Week. Featuring hands-on experiences, lectures, film screenings, food and drink specials, the annual event was an occasion to celebrate Maine’s seaweed harvest and the community around it.

For Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, one of this year’s co-sponsors, the celebration was an opportunity to expand the conversation from the possibilities of seaweed to the limitless potential of algae more broadly. It was a week for creating new connections, building awareness, and highlighting how the cutting-edge research coming out of institutions like Bigelow Laboratory can help turn the state’s valuable marine resources into real economic growth.

“Our goal for Seaweed Week was to build awareness and momentum,” said Senior Research Scientist Mike Lomas, who directs the National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA) and spearheads the NSF-funded Maine Algal Research Infrastructure and Accelerator (MARIA) project. “We want to show how use-inspired solutions developed in our labs can be commercialized into high-value products that will boost our economy and make our communities more resilient.”

Algae — the large, diverse group of plant-like organisms that includes everything from large seaweeds to microscopic life at the base of the ocean food web — are scientifically and ecologically important. They generate much of the planet’s oxygen, clean coastal waters by absorbing excess nutrients, and have served as a valuable human food source for millennia. But it’s only now that algae are having their mainstream ‘moment in the sun’ as a tool to grow the blue economy.

The blue economy is sustainable and equitable economic activity associated with the ocean that can expand economic opportunities, preserve ecosystem health, and solve pressing societal needs. Maine is well positioned to be a national blue economy leader with its clean water, active working waterfront, marine resources, established heritage industries, and strong network of research institutions and trade groups. Lomas points out that Maine, with a strong seaweed farming industry and valuable assets like NCMA and its world-leading algae culture collection, is also uniquely positioned to pursue opportunities in both micro- and macroalgae.

With that strong foundation, the state can pursue an incredible array of applications. While food might be the most obvious starting point — and the primary focus of Seaweed Week — the possibilities of algae go well beyond food to animal feed, agricultural biostimulants, bioplastics, skincare and wellness ingredients, environmental solutions, and so much more. 

“Algae is just a platform,” said Sarah Delmar, the founding director of the new Maine Life Sciences Center at the Maine Technology Institute. “What impresses me most is the depth and breadth of applications and all the places where algae show up.”

As one of what Delmar calls Maine’s key “anchor institutions,” Bigelow Laboratory has been helping develop a blue biotechnology sector for the state that unlocks some of those possibilities.

NCMA serves as a biobank and repository for one of the most genetically diverse algae collections in the world, and the lab offers state-of-the-art testing services and incubator spaces that can help entrepreneurs develop and scale new products. Leveraging those resources, the MARIA project is focused on translating algae research into use-inspired innovations and bringing together partners from across the state to pursue new research, develop businesses, and train a skilled workforce to seed a pipeline of talent that stays in Maine.

Algae innovation is a year-round effort at Bigelow Laboratory; Seaweed Week provided increased visibility for these exciting initiatives and a space to share this work with new audiences. 

Building Awareness and Momentum

Seaweed Week activities kicked off with an episode of NPR’s Maine Calling show on algae and seaweed innovation featuring Lomas and Bigelow Laboratory collaborator Nichole Price, Jaclyn Robidoux from Maine Sea Grant, and several call-in participants from across the aquaculture sector and beyond. The conversation highlighted the growing role of algae in Maine’s economy, from supporting aquaculture to enabling new products and business opportunities. It also gave listeners a preview of what may come next for the state. As Lomas pointed out, the variety of compounds produced by microalgae offer endless, yet-to-be-discovered opportunities in biotechnology that will open the door for new industries and strengthen the existing coastal economy.

A few days later, scientists from Bigelow Laboratory hosted colleagues from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for a tour of the institution’s campus. During the visit, researchers shared insight into Bigelow Laboratory’s diversity of research on kelp, biobanking, and reforestation.

The next evening, WWF co-hosted a special event alongside the Maine Outdoor Film Festival and the Portland Museum of Art. “Maine’s Seaweed Moment” featured several short films on aquaculture and an expert panel on the state’s seaweed economy. With support from WWF, Maine Sea Grant, Maine Seaweed Council, and the Maine Farmed Seafood Association, the event brought together filmmakers, scientists, and industry voices from across the state to explore the opportunities and benefits of seaweed for Maine’s coastal economy.

Next up was Seaweed Saturday, the hallmark event of the annual festival. This year, Bigelow Laboratory was a sponsor of the expo, which highlighted the collaborative network of institutions and companies already working in this space. Several Bigelow Laboratory scientists staffed a booth, sharing information with the public about seaweed and the services the institution offers to innovators and companies. A fan-favorite activity at the table was “Is it Algae?” a game where participants sorted through a set of cards featuring products from food to skincare and had to guess which ones are made from algae — an activity that delighted visitors and showcased the widespread and real-world applications of these incredible organisms.

On Wednesday, alternative applications of algae took center stage again with a panel, “Algal Innovations: Beyond Food,” organized by the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs at the New England Ocean Cluster. The event was sponsored by the MARIA project and moderated by Lomas, who led a great discussion highlighting industry perspectives and new biotechnology opportunities around algae.

“The goal of the panel was to highlight the scientific capabilities of Maine research institutions and showcase the possibilities of commercializing and translating use-inspired research,” Lomas said. “Algae touch on so many things, and this was a chance to highlight some of those diverse opportunities, many of which are unique to Maine.”

“The fact that we’re even having this broader conversation on algae innovation is a sign of real progress,” added Delmar, who was a panelist. “It’s still early, and these emerging industries need a lot of support, but it shows how we’re moving beyond a narrow focus on food into materials, life sciences, and exciting higher-value applications.”

New Connections and Investments for the Future

A recurring theme at all of these events was the need for increased state and federal support and private capital to nurture all of these innovative ideas and create real economic opportunities for the state. In April, the USDA announced the creation of a new Office of Seafood, for example, that will be a valuable partner in this effort.

Coinciding with Seaweed Week, USDA staff joined with University of Maine and Bigelow Laboratory on April 27 to host a listening session at the University of Southern Maine to better understand the key challenges and opportunities facing Maine’s seaweed sector. The session provided space to hear directly from farmers and industry representatives about their specific needs and what they to see from the USDA.

The next morning, several USDA colleagues visited Bigelow Laboratory to meet with scientists, learn more about ongoing research, and brainstorm how the agency and lab can work together to help meet the needs identified the previous day. USDA visitors got a closer look at how Bigelow Laboratory is leading algae-based research and innovation in Maine, followed by a short cruise aboard the R/V Bowditch to visit the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center and their experimental seaweed farm across the river.

The state has also been taking meaningful strides to further this work.

The Maine Life Sciences Center, which Delmar leads, was launched last year to support commercialization, attract investment, and build the infrastructure Maine's life sciences companies need to grow. Earlier this year, the Maine Legislature authorized the creation of a similarly structured center dedicated to the blue economy. Delmar says that, in Maine, the priorities of both centers are closely aligned.

“There’s a real overlap between the blue economy and life sciences here, especially as new technologies open up new applications,” she said. “In Maine, life sciences aren’t just about traditional drug discovery — breakthroughs are just as likely to come out of our oceans and forests.”

Bigelow Laboratory Vice President for Research Beth Orcutt says she couldn’t agree more.

“There’s a real opportunity to bolster a sustainable algae-based economy for Maine — and Bigelow Laboratory is proud to be a leader in this effort,” she said. “We have made so much progress in the past year and are beginning to achieve recognition for Maine’s potential to lead this effort as we continue to build regional alignment and momentum.”

“When we work together and show up as a cohesive industry, that’s what begins to unlock real momentum,” Delmar added. “With smart investments, we can own this industry. We have a real opportunity to plant the Maine flag in the ground.”