Laminaria farlowii, a new species for sustainable aquaculture in California: nursery methods, climate change resilience and preliminary market assessment with outreach through the California Seaweed Fair

Laminaria farlowii, a new species for sustainable aquaculture in California: nursery methods, climate change resilience and preliminary market assessment with outreach through the California Seaweed Fair The proposed work is a collaborative effort of researchers at CSUN and University of Connecticut, along with an industry partner, The Cultured Abalone, LLC. This work is in line with the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Strategy 2-2: Improving the economic and environmental viability of aquaculture operations through research on the performance of culturing systems and cultured species. The main objectives of the work are to characterize the growth dynamics of all life cycle phases of the species, as a function of temperature and light intensity; to test for its hypothesized resilience to marine heat waves and to determine the optimal timing for outplanting in the ocean. Work on microscopic stage will take place in the Marine Biotechnology Laboratory at the University of Connecticut. Farm scale experiments and in ocean cultivation will be conducted at The Cultured Abalone, LLC?s farm facility in Goleta, CA. The research project will produce a Cultivation Manual, peer reviewed publications on the climate change resilience of this as yet, unstudied, commercially promising species and support job creation in seaweed aquaculture. To support the nascent seaweed industry in California, we will stage the first California Seaweed Fair for education and outreach. The event will bring together growers and producers of seaweed products, educators and the public in an atmosphere of fun and celebration while showcasing all things seaweed. One CSUN student with interests in sustainable aquaculture and science communication will be employed throughout the project to foster continuity in the California Seaweed Fair Project