Welcome to our May Newsletter!
Seaweed, Seaweed Everywhere:
Seaweed, as the expression goes, is having a moment. While it’s been a long-time dietary and cultural staple in many parts of the world, there’s been an explosion of interest and
activity over the past several years in its myriad potential uses – from food to carbon capture to methane reduction to coastal resilience. Europe has been leading the charge in
many ways, but the US and others are jumping in with enthusiasm.
In keeping with our love of learning through multiple mediums, we’ve provided a sampling of resources to deepen your understanding of these remarkable marine plants and algae. The
following articles, along with a book and podcast featured further down in the newsletter, offer a holistic view of the exciting evolution of this space:
-
Seaweed Is Having Its Moment in the Sun,
New York Times
- Why Earth’s Giant Kelp Forests Are Worth $500 Billion a Year, Nature
-
Into the Blue: Securing a Sustainable Future for Kelp Forests,
UNEP
-
Towards Clean Kelp - The Potential for eDNA to Predict Biofouling,
The Fish Site
-
SeaFree: New Technology Turns Waste From Fish Farming into Seaweed,
Earth.com
With summer quickly approaching, it’s a great time to try some of the delicious seaweed products out there! Our friends at Akua and 12 Tides recently launched new product flavors,
including the Chili Sesame Kelp Burger and
Vegan Cheddar Kelp Chips.
World Oceans Day (and Week!) Around the Corner:
On June 8th the United Nations will host its annual World Oceans Day, convening its usual impressive line-up of scientists, policymakers, artists and other ocean leaders. This
year’s theme is Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing, and you can register
here
free of charge.
While not officially designated (yet) by the UN, the number of “World Oceans Week” programs continues to grow, with events this June in
New York City,
Washington DC,
Milan and Brussels, among
other locations. Ted will be participating remotely in the Milan proceedings from The Explorers Club together with Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Ted is also delighted to serve for the seventh year as a chair for The Explorers Club’s World Oceans Week. This year’s program runs from June 4th-10th and includes: an evening with
Dr. Earle, four Mission Blue Hope Spot champions and Titouan Bernicot, the extraordinary founder of
Coral Gardeners; a “coral hour” hosted by
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; a sustainable seafood evening with offerings from
Akua, American Unagi and
The Plant Based Seafood Co, plus a half dozen other pioneering food companies; an “ocean boot camp”
for emerging ocean stewards; a Minecraft build contest for the underwater exploration station of the future; a Bahamian evening blending culture (Junkanoo!), archaeology, island
food and exploration; and much more. You can see more details and register for events here.
That Friday, June 9th, The Explorers Club, Stony Brook University and
Schmidt Marine Technology Partners will host a day at the Shinnecock Bay Hope Spot in Southampton, Long
Island, which will include getting out on the water by boat and demos from four inspiring ocean tech companies. There will also be an ocean tech side event at the UN Headquarters
featuring these technologies earlier in the week, in addition to several other blue economy gatherings around the city. For more information on these events please feel free to
reach out to us at contact@investableoceans.com.
A Few Team Member Updates:
Congratulations to our own Tiffany Duong, whose journey into the oceans was featured in the most recent issue of
Outside Magazine. We first met
Tiffany on a Coral Restoration Foundation dive in the Florida Keys, and feel privileged to have traveled with her ever since.
In the field with Morgan Bennett-Smith: “I’m on assignment as part of a BioBlitz research expedition in the Northern Arabian Red Sea with the Florida Museum of Natural
History, KAUST and collaborators. We’re sampling hundreds of different marine species per day; so far we’ve documented over 1000 species here, including a growing number of
potentially undescribed fish and invertebrates. BioBlitzes help us understand the biodiversity of a given marine region, which is especially important in a place like Northern
Saudi Arabia, where research has been limited and some sites have never been surveyed.”
Ted is looking forward to speaking at this June’s OCEANOVATION Festival in The Hague, The
Netherlands. We hope to see many of you there, please let us know if you plan on attending so we can connect!
Don’t Stop Scrolling!
- An original piece on Queen Conch aquaculture from our very own Marilu Cristina Flores
- A new technique that can map ocean plastics from space
- A thoughtful blog from Ocean 14 Capital’s Chris Gorell Barnes on the ocean-climate nexus
As always, we thank you for your support.
The Investable Oceans Team
