Speaker

About the speaker: 

BSc in Environmental Sciences and a MSc in Plant Sciences. Annelous has over 11 years of experience working in the Seaweed Industry for different companies and organizations. In 2020 she started working for Nordic SeaFarm and is today the Hatchery and R&D manager. She spearheaded the Ulva farm project between 2022-2024 that resulted in a successful large-scale cultivation of Ulva in the ocean. She is today involved in multiple projects, including new applications and species evolving the industry in Europe.

Company info:

Nordic SeaFarm was founded in 2016 by six marine biologists from Gothenburg University and the Royal Technical Institute of Stockholm. In 2020, the company made an effort to increase commercial traction and is today one of the largest seaweed farmers in Northern Europe cultivating Sugar Kelp, Ulva fenestrata on large scale in the ocean.

Presentation:

The future demand for seaweed biomass will require a diversification of cultivated species. Ulva is highly interesting due to its high protein content (up to 30%), presence of vitamins (e.g., A, B, C, E), trace minerals (e.g., Fe, Ca,Mg) and dietary fibres. Ulva is cultivated on land, but this has restricted scaling due to regional constraints compared to cultivation at sea. The organization developed protocols for seabased cultivation of Ulva fenestrata with particular focus on large-scale production of seeding material. This presentation will give an insight into the journey of upscaling Ulva at sea and presenting some of the commercial opportunities this has brought Nordic SeaFarm.