Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Springtide Seaweed in Gouldsboro will receive a total of $649,651 to develop new innovative nori and dulse red seaweed cultivation systems enabling these high-value crops to be farmed in the U.S. and globally. This grant will build on the efforts of the SEAMaine marine economy action plan, an industry-led effort funded with the support of Senators Collins and King.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Maine’s economy, and helping them to reach their full potential strengthens Maine’s economy and creates new employment opportunities, particularly in our rural communities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.  “We welcome this investment from the USDA, which will allow Springtide Seaweed to develop new seaweed crops, increasing sustainability and efficiency in the industry, diversifying the aquaculture industry, and supporting jobs in coastal communities.

The potential of U.S. seaweed aquaculture is immense, but the industry remains stalled at low-value brown kelp crops. Springtide Seaweed will use this funding to refine its nursery technologies and designs for efficient seed production of high-value nori and dulse red seaweed.  This cultivation system would be used by Springtide Seaweed and commercialized for aquaculture businesses globally.  New turnkey systems, adaptable to red and brown seaweed cultivation, will increase sustainability in the industry, reduce gear and crop failure, and enable high-value red seaweeds to be easily integrated into existing aquaculture industries, including shellfish, finfish, and seaweed farms worldwide.

This funding was awarded through the Small Business Innovation Research Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.  This program encourages the growth of domestic small businesses by offering competitively awarded grants to support high-quality research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture.  These small business ventures are recognized as having the potential for larger scale commercialization as well as benefits to the community at large.