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Seaweed could represent the world’s most significant untapped resource, according to Vincent Doumeizel, a United Nations adviser and prominent advocate for large-scale seaweed cultivation. In an interview published by Pew Research Center, Doumeizel outlined the environmental and economic promise of expanding seaweed farming, particularly in regions such as Alaska.

Doumeizel argues that seaweed can help address multiple global crises simultaneously, including climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and social inequality. Seaweed grows rapidly without the need for freshwater, fertilizers, or arable land, making it a low-impact crop compared with many terrestrial agricultural products. It also absorbs carbon dioxide and excess nutrients from the water, helping to mitigate ocean acidification and reduce pollution.

Beyond environmental benefits, seaweed has significant economic potential. It can be used in a wide array of products, including food, animal feed, fertilizers, bioplastics, textiles, and biofuels. Doumeizel emphasized that scaling up seaweed cultivation could create jobs in coastal communities while supporting more sustainable industrial practices. He pointed to Alaska as an example of a region well positioned to expand seaweed farming due to its extensive coastline and cold, nutrient-rich waters.

Seaweed is already a dietary staple in many parts of the world, and interest in its nutritional benefits is growing elsewhere. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein, and could play a role in improving global food security. Additionally, incorporating seaweed into animal feed has been shown to reduce methane emissions from livestock, offering another potential climate benefit.

Doumeizel, who authored a 2023 book describing seaweed as “the world’s greatest untapped resource,” believes that broader awareness and investment are needed to unlock its full potential. He advocates for coordinated international efforts to develop sustainable seaweed industries, emphasizing that careful management will be essential to avoid ecological harm as production expands.

While challenges remain, including regulatory hurdles and the need for further research, Doumeizel maintains that seaweed offers a rare opportunity: a scalable solution that can simultaneously support environmental restoration, economic development, and global food systems.

Researchers report that seaweed may become an innovative ingredient in concrete, offering a way to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the construction sector. According to findings highlighted by Earth.com, powdered seaweed can replace a portion of traditional cement while also storing additional carbon as the material hardens.

The buildings and construction sector accounts for roughly one-third of global CO2 emissions, making low-carbon concrete one of the most impactful opportunities for reducing industrial pollution. Cement production is particularly carbon-intensive, so replacing even a fraction of it with alternative materials could yield meaningful climate benefits.

In the study, researchers at the University of Washington developed a low-carbon cement alternative using powdered seaweed. When blended into cement, the seaweed reduced the material’s global warming potential by 21% while maintaining performance standards. The researchers suggest that seaweed could potentially replace up to 30% of cement in certain applications, offering both emissions reductions and long-term carbon storage.

As the concrete cures and hardens, the seaweed-based component helps lock away carbon, contributing to a lower overall carbon footprint for the finished material. This dual benefit—reducing emissions from cement production and storing carbon within the concrete—positions seaweed-infused cement as a promising strategy for decarbonizing construction.

The researchers describe the approach as a surprising solution to one of the construction industry’s biggest climate challenges. With concrete being the world’s most widely used building material, integrating seaweed into cement formulations could reshape industry practices while helping meet global climate targets.

If adopted at scale, seaweed-enhanced concrete could represent a significant step toward lowering emissions across infrastructure and building projects worldwide. The study underscores the potential for nature-based materials to play a central role in transforming heavy industries and reducing their environmental impact.

Seaweed farming for food, beauty products, fertilizers and other uses has rapidly gained momentum in the western hemisphere. However, as the industry has matured and realistic market values have emerged, economic challenges have slowed growth. Increasingly, new growers have been struggling to build stable, long-term business plans.

Atlantic salmon farmed alongside sugar kelp in Bantry Bay transferred measurable nutrients to the seaweed crop in a commercial-scale integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports.

Perth-based materials company Uluu is set to scale production of its seaweed-based alternative to plastic packaging after securing $2.1 million through the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program.

Adelaide University researchers have demonstrated that a naturally derived seaweed compound can dramatically reduce methane emissions from beef cattle raised in extensive grazing systems, without harming calves. 

Alaska plans to grow its mariculture industry with a focus on oysters and seaweed, but there are obstacles to overcome. While oyster farming is responsible for $1.6 million of mariculture revenue in Alaska, more than three-quarters of the $2 million total, the focus of a Pacific Marine Expo mariculture panel hosted by Dan Lesh, deputy director of the Southeast Conference (SEC), was solidly on seaweed. “We want to go from $2 million to $200 million in mariculture sales,” says Lesh.