The Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance: Supporting Australia’s seaweed industry through the Asparagopsis National Hatchery Network and development of a cultivation manual 

About the speaker: 

Margie is a phycologist and algae aquaculture specialist with over 15 years’ experience in the field. Over the past five years, and through her consulting research work, she has assisted more than 15 seaweed farming start-ups and social enterprises with a range of scientific needs from advice, scoping, discovery, and business development, to managing and undertaking complete R&D programs. 

Organisation:

ASSA is the national peak body for commercial seaweed industry development in Australia. Their mission is to scale up environmentally responsible commercial farming of seaweed to provide food, feed and bioproducts. They currently represent eleven corporate members and provide a coordinated voice to governments to support the national seaweed industry and sustainably grow the sector into the future.

Presentation:

Over the past 18 months researchers at the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance have been working hard to develop a National Hatchery Network for Asparagopsis farming in two locations in Australia. A Tropical Hub based at James Cook University focussed on A. taxiformis research, and a Temperate Hub based at the South Australian Research and Development Institute focused on A. armata research, with the aim of addressing knowledge gaps for Asparagopsis farming through research and experimentation. This extensive research program has resulted in a comprehensive, end-to-end hatchery manual to support the Australian seaweed industry.