Seaweed Growth Could Generate New Harvesting Jobs
Contact: Mike Stumbo, 207-226-3225, Mike_Stumbo@fmc.com
at UMaine: Bob Steneck, School of Marine Sciences; 207-563-3146, steneck@maine.edu
Nick Houtman, Dept. of Public Affairs, 207-581-3777, houtman@maine.edu
SEAWEED GROWTH COULD GENERATE NEW HARVESTING JOBS
ORONO, Maine — If there is a silver lining to the sea urchin decline along the Maine coast, it may be the increased abundance of a commercially important type of seaweed. As urchin harvesters have removed the spiny creatures from coastal waters, a dark purple edible and valuable seaweed known as Irish moss, or Chondrus crispus to scientists, has spread like dandelions in the spring.
Now, with a $10,000 seed grant from the Maine Technology Institute, FMC BioPolymer in Rockland is teaming up with University of Maine scientists to determine just how much Irish moss has expanded and how it can be sustainably harvested. The research may lead to new harvesting methods and new jobs.
FMC BioPolymer is a division of FMC Corporation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company began using Irish moss to produce carrageenan, an ingredient in foods, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, before 1950. The plant grows on both sides of the Atlantic and was harvested from the waters of southern Massachusetts through the Canadian Maritimes.
Today, most carrageenan is produced from seaweed imported from Asia Pacific regions or from Chile. In North America, the small amount of Chondrus crispus currently used in the production of carrageenan is largely harvested in the Canadian Maritimes.
The research project is a marriage of economics and ecology. Maine fishing communities are dangerously dependent on lobsters for the bulk of their income, and Irish moss could provide an important employment option, says Robert Steneck, UMaine professor of oceanography and leader of the research project. Urchins eat Irish moss, and the depletion of sea urchins has led to what is believed to be the all time highest density of Chondrus crispus in Maine waters, he adds.
It is also hoped that thinning the Chondrus crispus through sustainable harvest will reduce hiding places for the non-native green crabs, which feed on baby sea urchins. A result of harvesting could be more rapid recovery of sea urchin stocks.
Steneck is a renowned expert on coastal ecosystems, a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation recipient and recognized lobster researcher.
In July, Steneck’s team began surveying and mapping Chondrus crispus seaweed density along the entire length of the Maine coast. A final report will be issued in early 2005.
If sufficient density of Irish moss is found to be available, a second project will be launched to develop a mechanical harvester. The machine would allow a two-person team in a skiff to gather seaweed at a more productive rate than the traditional method of hand raking and beach gathering of storm tossed seaweed.
Six to ten two-person teams will be needed to harvest Chondrus crispus along with at least one gathering and drying station. The market price for Chondrus crispus seaweed is currently around $2,400 per ton.
The total cost of the survey is expected to be $42,000, with the difference from the $10,000 MTI seed grant being made up by $16,000 in expense funding from FMC Corporation through Coastal America. The remainder will come from donations of management time by FMC BioPolymer and the University of Maine.
MTI is funded by the State of Maine to invest in technologies that have potential to create high skill jobs in critical industries.
FMC Corporation is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets globally for more than a century with innovative solutions, applications and quality products. The company employs approximately 5,300 people throughout the world. The company divides its businesses into three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals and Industrial Chemicals.