Reports & Media

Channel News Asia Article & Video: Deep-sea Solution Seeding Hope for Struggling but Essential Seaweed Farming Industry

Summary: Sacred Seaplants is in partnership with Climate Foundation, whose scientists in the Philippines have tested a deep-sea seaweed farming technique that could address climate change and food security. This method involves raising seaweed in nutrient-rich deep water and then bringing it to the surface for sunlight. The project aims to revitalize the seaweed industry while promoting biodiversity and capturing carbon dioxide. If successful, this approach could be scaled up in other countries.

IEEE Spectrum: Pilot Project Sends Kelp & Carbon to the Seafloor

Summary: IEEE Spectrum is a magazine known for it’s rigorous research in reporting and published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, covering breakthroughs in technology with a focus on engineering, science, and their societal implications. This article discusses marine permaculture as a potential approach for growing food and resources in the ocean in a sustainable way. It highlights the limitations of conventional ocean farming and the need for a new strategy. Drawing inspiration from permaculture on land, which focuses on creating balanced and productive ecosystems, the authors propose a similar system for the ocean. This would involve designing ocean farms that benefit the environment and society along with being productive. This approach aligns with recent advancements in ocean technology and governance. By developing marine permaculture, we can potentially create thriving ocean ecosystems that contribute to a sustainable future.

Click Here to see the full research post. marine permaculture | kelp | carbon removal | mariculture | scalable regeneration

50 One Earth Article: Marine Permaculture - Design principles for productive seascapes

Summary: Expanding production in the ocean is expected to help address many challenges of the 21st century, from climate change to food insecurity. However, already declining ocean health and the legacy of socio-ecological harms from conventional agricultural practices on land suggest that a non-conventional approach to marine cultivation will be required. We explore marine permaculture as a possible system-design framework for future ocean stewardship that could lead to enhanced production alongside positive ecological and social outcomes. On land, permaculture has taken root as a framework for designing socio-ecological systems that seek to be productive, resilient, and equitable in the long term. Here, we imagine how permaculture’s design principles and ethics might manifest in the ocean and describe how it dovetails with recent scientific advances in ocean technologies and governance. Further developing and implementing marine permaculture could enable the realization of productive seascapes that avoid undermining progress toward sustainable development.

Click Here to see the full research post. marine permaculture | blue economy | mariculture | ecosystem regeneration

2023 World Bank Report: Global Seaweed Emerging Markets

Summary: With its ability to sink carbon, sustain marine biodiversity, employ women, and unlock value chains, seaweed farming demonstrates how development, climate, and nature work together to generate value and uplift communities. Seaweed farming can help build a world free of poverty on a livable planet and has enormous growth potential. This report has identified ten global seaweed markets with the potential to grow by an additional USD 11.8 billion by 2030. Yet, much of the seaweed sector’s value remains untapped - it has clear growth potential beyond its current markets. Today, most farmed seaweed is used for direct human consumption, as fresh feed in aquaculture, or as hydrocolloids. However, seaweed-farmed products may be able to displace fossil fuels in sectors such as fabrics and plastics; can provide ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and nitrogen cycling; and can generate socioeconomic benefits in fragile coastal communities. Further, the market is currently dominated by a handful of Asian countries, which produce 98 percent of farmed seaweed by volume globally. Opportunities for growth in new regions and applications are high.

Click Here to see the Full Report. global seaweed | blue economy | mariculture | biodiversity | emerging seaweed markets

Feature in Paul Hawkin’s book, Drawdown :
The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming

Summary: Marine Permaculture has received endorsement from a number of permaculture experts who have recognized its adherence to the principles of permaculture. It has also received considerable attention as a potentially ground-breaking climate solution. It has featured as a “Coming Attraction” solution in the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming edited by Paul Hawken and was one of the main climate solutions featured in Damon Gameau’s documentary film 2040.