ISSR Lab page - Aquaculture Research Institute

Integrated Seaweed Systems Research

Advancing resilient seaweed aquaculture through science, collaboration, and innovation in the Gulf of Maine

The Integrated Seaweed Systems Research (ISSR) advances resilient, scalable seaweed systems through interdisciplinary research spanning genetics, seed systems, cultivation, conservation and restoration, product development, and market innovation. Housed within UMaine’s Aquaculture Research Institute, ISSP integrates engineering, biology, and economics to support the development of sustainable macroalgae production while strengthening ecosystem conservation, restoration, and the growth of a stable, established industry.

Developing genetic resources and breeding capacity to support a resilient and scalable industry.
Work includes: Nursery development, genetic conservation and strain banking, bio-banking infrastructure, metabolomics research, trait evaluation for performance and resilience, and application of photobioreactors

Supporting the transition toward offshore seaweed production. Work includes: offshore farming trials, production system innovation, mechanization development, and operational research

Assessing and translating global research and technology into practical industry tools. Work includes: Korea seeding machine evaluation, industry trials, applied technology testing, commercialization pathways, and integration of photobioreactors for scalable production

Understanding the status and resilience of wild kelp populations in the Gulf of Maine to inform both restoration and aquaculture.
Work includes: Research on ecological interactions (Red algae interactions and their impacts on kelp forests), field-based assessments of wild kelp populations across the Maine coastline, and identification of populations with potential resilience to environmental change

Applying aquaculture tools like breeding and nursery resources to ecosystem restoration challenges.
Projects include: Esses Ave restoration trials, habitat resilience research, population enhancement work, and use of cultured gametophytes to support restoration

Facilities & Research Infrastructure

The program is expanding its physical and analytical capacity to support biobanking, cultivar development and nursery optimization. Recent developments include: New Labratory space, expanded nursery capacity, gemetophyte bio-banking infrascture, analytical capability expansion, and metabolomics research capacity.

These investements are positioning the program to support both research innovation and industry

Research Areas: The program integrates research across multiple areas of seaweed science and production

The Integrated Seaweed Innovation Program brings together applied and analytical research to address key bottlenecks in seaweed aquaculture, from early-stage cultivation through large-scale production and ecosystem applications. By integrating breeding, nursery development, restoration science, and emerging analytical tools, the program supports both industry advancement and long-term resource sustainability.

To support long-term breeding and restoration efforts, the program is establishing bio-banking systems for the preservation and management of seaweed genetic resources. These efforts focus on maintaining diverse strains, safeguarding regionally important genotypes, and enabling repeatable research across seasons and sites. By developing stable repositories of genetic material, the program addresses a key limitation in the sector, where access to consistent, high-quality starting material is often constrained.

Breeding efforts are focused on identifying and developing traits relevant to both production performance and environmental resilience. This includes evaluating growth rates, morphology, and other characteristics under varying environmental conditions, as well as building the foundations of a structured breeding pipeline. The goal is to move beyond opportunistic strain selection toward more systematic approaches that can support industry scalability and adaptation to changing ocean conditions.

Analytical research is expanding the program’s capacity to understand the biochemical composition of cultivated seaweed. Metabolomics approaches are being used to characterize compounds related to product quality, environmental response, and potential commercial applications. This work provides a deeper layer of insight that complements traditional growth and performance metrics, supporting both breeding decisions and market development.

The program is applying nursery and breeding capacity to restoration-focused initiatives. These efforts explore how cultivated seaweed can support habitat recovery, enhance ecosystem function, and contribute to broader coastal resilience strategies. By integrating restoration with aquaculture systems, the program is developing approaches that serve both environmental and industry goals.

Production-based research (PBR) trials are used to test cultivation strategies, genetic lines, and technologies under real-world conditions. These trials provide critical feedback on how research translates to commercial environments, allowing for iterative refinement of both biological and operational approaches. PBR work also supports collaboration with industry partners by aligning research objectives with practical production challenges.