Can Seaweed Save the Planet?
This videocast episode is part of WorldFish’s Deep Dive series, launched on the occasion of WorldFish’s 50th anniversary to convene dialogue and inspire action on some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in sustainable and inclusive aquatic food systems.
Seaweed has been hailed as a miracle crop able to store carbon, clean up ocean, feed the world, support livelihoods, and replace plastic. But how much of this is science, and how much is spin?
In the first episode of The Deep Dive, climate scientist Dr Michelle Tigchelaar talks with researchers and practitioners from around the world to test the claims, surface the trade-offs, and ask what it would take to scale seaweed in ways that actually lead to intended outcomes?
Hosted by
Senior Scientist and Climate & Environment Lead | WorldFish
Featuring
Dr Rod Fujita
Ocean ecologist | CouncilFire & Stanford University
Principal Consultant at CouncilFire and longtime ocean innovator. Former Science Director at Root Solutions and Senior Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund, with over three decades shaping ecosystem-based approaches to ocean management. Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Woods Institute and Center for Ocean Solutions.
Prof Phang Siew Moi
Algal biotechnologist | UCSI University, Malaysia
Distinguished Professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UCSI University, Malaysia. A leading expert in algal biotechnology, with pioneering work on algae-based biofuels and sustainable applications. Recipient of the 2017 Newton Prize.
Dr Rumana Hossain
Climate scientist | WorldFish Bangladesh
Climate Change Research Scientist at WorldFish Bangladesh. Leads applied research on climate risk management in aquatic food systems across South Asia, focusing on resilience for small-scale producers.
Vincent Doumeizel
Author | The Seaweed Revolution
Senior Advisor on Oceans to the UN Global Compact and Director of the Food Programme at Lloyd’s Register Foundation and author of The Seaweed Revolution.
Dr Esther Magondu
Aquaculture scientist | WorldFish Kenya
Scientist in Aquatic Farming Practices at WorldFish Kenya. Formerly at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), with expertise in sustainable aquaculture systems and integrated coastal livelihoods.
Prof Barry Costa-Pierce
Marine ecologist | Nord University
Professor II at Nord University, Norway, and Emeritus Professor at the University of New England, USA. A marine ecologist with over 40 years shaping sustainable ocean food systems worldwide.
Further reading
For more on seaweed, aquatic food systems, and the themes explored in this episode: