Seagriculture Speaker

About the speaker:

Dr. Roberson is an Associate Scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA and is currently leading a project to develop offshore cultivation of tropical seaweeds in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Belize funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E MARINER (Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources) program.

Company info: 

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery – exploring fundamental biology, understanding biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago.

Presentation:

The Caribbean’s small countries and island nations are experiencing a loss of resources due to climate change and other stressors. We believe that well-managed development and growth of tropical seaweed aquaculture in the region may help to assuage these issues while also providing a new source of seaweed biomass for the existing carrageenan, new food and textile, and possibly future biofuel markets. We are exploring the opportunities for expanded seaweed aquaculture in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in collaboration with partners across 15 institutions and research sites in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Belize.