The Science of Seacharrones
RESTORING OCEAN HEALTH WITH EVERY BITE
Our Challenge
Our seas are experiencing rapid change as an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide is not only warming the earth but also making the oceans more acidic. The negative impact is felt by marine organisms from orcas to oysters, coral to crabs, inhibiting their ability to thrive. These creatures depend on a stable ocean for their survival. How we help restore and protect the ocean’s natural chemistry is a central challenge for humankind to resolve.
How Kelp Helps…
KELP FORMS IMPORTANT HABITAT
Creating underwater ecosystems
Kelp forests are home to a wide variety of sea creatures, including small fish, otters, invertebrates, and salmon that visit kelp beds to feed and find shelter amongst the blades. With natural kelp forests disappearing on the U.S. coastline, our sea farms are are committed to restoring and creating kelp habitats through planting, care, and continued research that assists in kelp bed restoration.
KELP COMBATS CLIMATE CHANGE
Naturally improving the chemistry of the sea
Seaweeds actually sequester greenhouse gases—absorbing carbon dioxide and in turn producing oxygen—making the surrounding ocean less acidic and reducing the effects of climate change.
KELP REQUIRES ZERO INPUTS TO GROW
Regeneratively farmed with saltwater & sunshine
No land. No fresh water. No fertilizers. No pesticides. Kelp only needs sunlight and the nutrients naturally found in the sea. And it grows incredibly fast — certain species can grow up to 2 ft. per day!
More seagreens science to geek out on:
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SEAWEED CULTIVATION AS A STRATEGY FOR MITIGATING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION IN HOOD CANAL, WA
In the coming decades, as seawater absorbs increasing amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide, conditions in Washington waters are expected to worsen, with changes occurring more rapidly in Puget Sound waters than along our coast.
In the face of these deteriorating conditions, we are confronted with many questions, one of which is: what can we do locally - in the water - to ameliorate the effects of acidification? The investigation described in this report sought an answer to that question.
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THE POWER OF KELP
Increasing acidification in the Puget Sound and Hood Canal is taking a toll on the species that inhabit those waters. The PMEL Carbon Group worked with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) to help investigate the power of sugar kelp to improve seawater conditions locally. With increasingly corrosive conditions ahead, the project tested the efficacy of using native vegetation to buffer the pH of seawater in places with important shellfish resources. The 5-year project implements a key recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification with funding from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
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KELP FARMING AND THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW MARKETS IN PUGET SOUND
When people think of farms, they tend to picture tidy rows of crops growing under abundant sunshine on terra firma. However, it turns out that not all farms are on land, and in fact some flourish in the sea. You have likely heard of shellfish and finfish farming, but a new type of cultivation is emerging in our region: seaweed farming.