Conference Program
Conference Program
Seagriculture USA
11 - 12 September 2024
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Conference Program
Theme of Seagriculture USA 2024: Exploring New Frontiers
The theme of Seagriculture USA 2024, Exploring New Frontiers, embodies the spirit of innovation and discovery of the seaweed industry's evolution in the United States. This theme resonates with the pioneering efforts in cultivating seaweed in Alaska's unique environment – a testament to venturing into uncharted waters.
It's an invitation to stakeholders from various sectors to come together, share ideas, and forge new paths, aiming to transform challenges into opportunities. This theme is a beacon for collective action, steering the future of the seaweed industry towards sustainable and economically viable paths.
Program is tentative and subject to changes.
Site visits: Tuesday 10 September 2024
Within the Seagriculture USA 2024 program, we have ararnged for a series of site visits that will allow you to not only learn more about seaweed farming in Alaska but also see the unsurpassed beauty of the region!
All site visits will take place on 10 September 2024. Please take it into account during the planning of your stay in Alaska.
Hump Islands
Leave the crowds behind and set out on an exclusive adventure. Enjoy an exclusive Coastal Cruise & Oyster Farm with Tasting
Waterfront and Wildlife Cruise
Experience the beautiful harbors of Ketchikan’s dynamic waterfront and take in breathtaking wilderness surroundings
Oceans Alaska
Step into Oceans Alaska's world where the salty breeze dances with the scent of freshly harvested seaweed & briny oysters
Conference day 1: Wednesday 11 September 2024
8:00 am - 9:00 am Welcome Coffee
9.00 am – 9.30 am Opening of the conference
9:30 am - 9:50 am: Keynote presentation
Mariculture in Alaska: Oceans of Opportunity
Julie Sande, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, USA
9:50 am - 10:50 am Session 1: Past, present and future of the Alaskan seaweed industry
During this session, we will have a close look at the Alaskan seaweed industry, how and when it all started, what the status is today, and where it is all moving in the last frontier state.
9:50 am - 10:10 am: Title to be confirmed
9:50 am - 10:10 am: Title to be confirmed
Markos Scheer, Founder & CEO, Seagrove, USA
10:10 am - 10:30 am: What is Mariculture, what does it mean to the communities and region?
Ralph Wolfe, Director of Indigenous Stewardship Programs, Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, USA
10:30 am - 10:50 am: Scaling economic opportunity in coastal Alaska: industry goals and expected impacts of public investments
Dan Lesh, Deputy Director, Southeast Conference, USA
10:50 am - 11:20 am Coffee Break / Trade Show
11:20 am - 12:40 pm Session 2: Investing in seaweedsDuring this session, seaweed business and investment experts will share their vision on the seaweed industry in the USA and abroad, on needs and expectations, and on what the next steps should be.
11:20 am - 11:40 am: International Finance Corporation’s approach to investing in seaweed production and application technologies in emerging markets
11:20 am - 11:40 am: International Finance Corporation’s approach to investing in seaweed production and application technologies in emerging markets
Ivan Ivanov, Global Lead for Sustainable Protein Advisory Services, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Vietnam
11:40 am - 12:00 pm: Impact investing in seaweed as a nature-based solution for global food security and the blue economy
11:40 am - 12:00 pm: Impact investing in seaweed as a nature-based solution for global food security and the blue economy
Sarah Wan-Yau, Managing Director, Potato Impact Partners, USA
12:00 pm - 12:20 pm: An investor’s perspective
Jason Mitchell, Co-Founder, Norfolk Green Ventures, USA
12:20 pm - 12:40 pm: Accelerating North American seaweed industry growth
Paul Dobbins, Sr. Director of Impact Investing, World Wildlife Fund, USA
12:40 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch / Trade Show
2:20 pm - 3:10 pm Session 3: Panel discussion: Marketing seaweeds and the seaweed industry
If we want to establish a flourishing seaweed industry in the USA in the coming years, which is at the same scale as agriculture, marketing of seaweeds and the seaweed industry will be very important. Our panelists will discuss various aspects of this interesting topic.
Moderator
Moderator
Jenn Brown, Founder & CEO, Foraged & Found, USA
Panelist
Panelist
Lia Heifetz, Co-founder, Barnacle Foods, USA
Panelist
Panelist
Jeremy Woodrow, Executive Director, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, USA
Panelist
Mike Blakeley, Founder & Director, Seagreen Insights, USA
3:10 pm – 3:40 pm Coffee Break / Trade Show
3:40 pm – 3:50 pm WWF - Portrait of a seaweed farmer
3:50 pm - 4:35 pm Session 4: Ask a Kelp Farmer
This session brings together a diverse panel of farmers from three high producing US regions (Kodiak, Alaska; Prince Williams Sound, Alaska; and Casco Bay, Maine). Each panel member will share their unique perspective on the industry, its challenges, and what’s happening in their respective regions. A question and answer session will follow. Conference participants can submit questions in advance or ask during the session.
Session is supported by:
Moderator
Moderator
David Bailey, Director of Farmer Advancement, GreenWave, USA
Ken Sparta, Farmer, Spartan Sea Farms, USA
Lexa Meyer, Owner & Hatchery Manager, Alaska Ocean Farms, LLC, USA
Skye Steritz, President & Co-founder, Noble Ocean Farms, USA
4:35 pm - 4:50 pm Coffee Break / Trade Show
4:50 pm - 5:50 pm Seaweed Elevator PitchesThe Seaweed Elevator Pitches offer a unique, fast-paced, and diverse session where presenters have five minutes to deliver a concise, impactful presentation on their activities and innovative ideas. All topics are possible as long as they deal with seaweeds.
The Alaska seaweed biomining project
The Alaska seaweed biomining project
Schery Umanzor, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Increasing farm yield: co-culturing of two kelp species
Michael Stekoll, Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Southeast, USA
Improving the farm while protecting the wild: using genetics to preserve kelp biodiversity
Improving the farm while protecting the wild: using genetics to preserve kelp biodiversity
Griffin Hill, PhD Candidate, Nord University, Norway
Challenges with securing aquaculture permits in California
Challenges with securing aquaculture permits in California
David Willett, Founder, Santa Barbara Sea Ranch, USA
Innovative applications of marine technologies in kelp farming: a case study of the Blue Robotics and Ocean Rainforest partnership
Innovative applications of marine technologies in kelp farming: a case study of the Blue Robotics and Ocean Rainforest partnership
Tyler Buckingham, Strategy & Engagement in the Blue Economy, Blue Robotics, USA
The Alaska Aquaculture Semester: Are we cultivating the skills your industry needs?
The Alaska Aquaculture Semester: Are we cultivating the skills your industry needs?
Angela Bowers, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Southeast, USA
Optimizing farm design and operations with distributed sensing
Optimizing farm design and operations with distributed sensing
Dan Breyre, Product Lead, Sofar Ocean, USA
Recycled carbon fiber cable for seaweed cultivation - economic and financial benefits
Recycled carbon fiber cable for seaweed cultivation - economic and financial benefits
Jon Kroman, Principal, Blue Dot Sea Farms, SPC, USA
Primary processing and testing of seaweed to maximize market access
Primary processing and testing of seaweed to maximize market access
Spencer Serin, Head of Science, Spoitz Liquified Seaweed, Canada
5:50 pm - 6:00 pm Closing of the first conference day
Start 6:30 pm Taste of Ketchikan at the Lumberjack Show
Conference day 2: Thursday 12 September 2024
8:00 am - 9:00 am Welcome Coffee
9:00 am - 9:10 am Opening of the conference day
9:10 am - 9:30 am: Keynote presentation:
Learning by Doing – Advances in seaweed farm design
9:10 am - 9:30 am: Keynote presentation:
Learning by Doing – Advances in seaweed farm design
Clifford A. Goudey, Founder & Engineer, C.A. Goudey & Associates, USA
9:30 am - 10:50 am: Session 5: Innovations in seaweed biorefinery and applications
There is a lot of innovation ongoing in the processing and application of seaweeds in various areas. During this session, three speakers will present their recent work.
9:30 am - 9:50 am: Title to be confirmed
9:30 am - 9:50 am: Title to be confirmed
Theo Verleun, CEO, GOA-Ventures BV, The Netherlands
9:50 am - 10:10 am: Title to be confirmed
Jenn Brown, Founder & CEO, Foraged & Found, USA
10:10 am - 10:30 am: UNCLE-SAM- Developing biomining applications of seaweeds for sustainable, domestic production of critical REE mineral feedstocks
10:10 am - 10:30 am: UNCLE-SAM- Developing biomining applications of seaweeds for sustainable, domestic production of critical REE mineral feedstocks
Thomas Mumford, Investigators, PNNL & Marine Agronomics, USA
10:30 am - 10:50 am: Seaweed down under – overview of the seaweed industry in Australia
10:30 am - 10:50 am: Seaweed down under – overview of the seaweed industry in Australia
Jo Lane, CEO, Sea Health Products, Australia
10:50 am - 11:20 am Coffee Break / Trade Show
11:20 am - 12:25 pm Session 6: Exploring New Frontiers
The theme of this year’s conference is Exploring New Frontiers. During this session, experts from around the world will present examples of how they explored new frontiers related to seaweeds.
11:20 am - 11:40 am: Alaska mariculture insights
11:20 am - 11:40 am: Alaska mariculture insights
Nitzan Unger, Senior Project Manager, Hatch Innovation Services, Norway
11:40 am - 12:05 pm: Searching for seaweed solutions: genetic information needs to inform a growing Alaska mariculture industry
11:40 am - 12:05 pm: Searching for seaweed solutions: genetic information needs to inform a growing Alaska mariculture industry
Jessica Whitney, Research Professional, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
11:40 am - 12:05 pm: The Alaskan Seaweed Genetics Workshop (April 2024) - summary and conclusions of the perspectives of industry, academia and regulators
Scott Lindell, Research Specialist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
12:05 pm - 12:25 pm: Large scale seaweed farming: how the crop start is controlled for optimal yields
12:05 pm - 12:25 pm: Large scale seaweed farming: how the crop start is controlled for optimal yields
Job Schipper, Director, SEAWISER, The Netherlands
12:25 pm - 1:45 pm Lunch / Trade Show
2:15 pm - 3:05 pm: Session 7: Panel discussion: How to accelerate the US seaweed industry?
During this panel discussion, various stakeholders will discuss the status of the US seaweed industry, and the challenges that need to be overcome to accomplish a thriving US seaweed industry.
Moderator
Julie Sande, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, USA
Panelist
Panelist
Clément Hochart, Founding Partner, SCOBY Collective, USA
Panelist
Panelist
Nichole Price, Senior Research Scientist, Director Bigelow Center for Seafood Solutions, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, USA
Panelist
Panelist
Keolani Booth, Councilman, Metlakatla Indian Community, Mariculture Liaison, USA
Panelist
Alicia Bishop, Alaska Regional Aquaculture Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries, USA
3:05 pm - 3:35 pm Coffee Break / Trade Show
3:35 pm - 3:55 pm: Keynote presentation:
Development of marine agronomy in Chile: research developments and policy actions towards increasing production, diversification, and value-adding
3:35 pm - 3:55 pm: Keynote presentation:
Development of marine agronomy in Chile: research developments and policy actions towards increasing production, diversification, and value-adding
Alejandro H. Buschmann, Full Professor, Universidad de Lagos, Chile
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm Session 8: Seaweed industry from a global perspective
During this session, the speakers will give an overview of the global state of play of the seaweed industry. What are the trends? What are the challenges? These and many other questions will be discussed.
3:55 pm - 4:15 pm: Seaweed industry from a global perspective
Harrison Charo Karisa, Senior Fisheries Specialist (Aquaculture), Environment Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice, World Bank Group, USA
4:15 pm - 4:35 pm: Title to be confirmed
4:15 pm - 4:35 pm: Title to be confirmed
Rogier van Steennis, Director, EY, The Netherlands
4:35 pm - 4:55 pm: Seaweed as a very important source of nutrition and also potentially just as important in achieving our sustainability goals
Piet Bogaert, Cargill Food & Bio Innovation Leader, Cargill, Belgium
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