Upcoming Events
ESP Environmental Social Science Brown Bags
Apr 23, 2021, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Diego Valderrama
Topic: Economic Assessment of the Ecosystem Services Associated with Kelp Farming Development in the U.S.
Talk Description: Given the multiple environmental benefits associated with seaweed farming, the number of kelp farming operations in the U.S. has substantially increased in recent years. For example, kelp aquaculture development in southern New England has been promoted with an overt emphasis on ecosystem services as seaweed aquaculture was viewed as a means to improve water quality in locations characterized by high levels of anthropogenic eutrophication. As is the case for many agricultural commodities, growth of seaweed aquaculture may occasionally exceed that of traditional (food) markets, leading to steady declines in prices for farmers and constraining further growth of the industry. Inroads into new applications such as the use of seaweed biomass as biofuel or as a component of animal feedstuffs will be necessary to guarantee further expansion of the industry. Economic compensation for the ecosystem services associated with seaweed aquaculture also opens up new market possibilities. For example, recent research indicates that seaweed farms can play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is estimated that global autotrophic seaweed communities assimilate around 1.5 Pg C per year, representing an important mechanism for CO2 removal from the atmosphere. As such, there are increasing calls to incorporate seaweed aquaculture into the emerging concept of Blue Carbon, i.e., the capacity of marine plants to sequester CO2. The major goal of this research project is therefore to explore the potential of seaweed farming as a charismatic Blue Carbon strategy that could help alleviate current constraints on the growth of the U.S. kelp aquaculture industry.