Humboldt Bay Seaweed Farming

2022 brought Sunken Seaweed to Northern California, in our first ever expansion! Thanks to support from our partners at the Port of San Diego, and from Hog Island Oyster Company, we now have a commercial land-based seaweed farm, as well as a kelp hatchery and nursery on the peninsula of Humboldt Bay. We are elated to finally have found a place to grow up as a company, and to bring seaweed to the plates of our California community members. Moreover, we are even more dedicated to supporting new seaweed farmers, and will work with Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods to facilitate a meaningful internship program on our farm!

Seaweed Research in Southern California

The world of seaweed farming is vast, and it’s one of the quickest growing sectors in U.S. aquaculture. With all of this opportunity for expansion and enterprise, there are just as many questions that arise regarding how this type of cultivation will impact the environment. Over the course of 6 years, Sunken Seaweed has partnered with researchers at San Diego State University, Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute, and many others, to investigate just a few of these questions. Leveraging the pilot farm in San Diego, we were able to gain funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, to explore how Sea Lettuce sequesters nutrient runoff in urban waterways, turning this seaweed into a valuable fertilizer! We remain committed to partnering with marine biologists as our company grows, and to foresee a long time collaboration among industry and research as the best means forward.

Through our partnership with the Port of San Diego, we are working to bring seaweed farming to life in California. This 1/4 acre ocean farm is about 25 feet deep, and allows us to grow many different species of seaweed by using the different depths. Beneath the surface are dozens of horizontal lines of seaweed, each placed according to the species’ ideal light conditions for growth. We are continuously out-planting and harvesting on the farm site so we can see what conditions lead to fastest growth.

One of the most exciting aspects of Sunken Seaweed’s endeavor is our collaboration with San Diego State University’s Kelp Ecology Lab, led by Dr. Matt Edwards. By working with academia, we are making the case for ecological aquaculture through collecting valuable scientific data. Since seaweed farming is such a new field in the United States, having research partners is crucial to ensuring ethical, ecosystem-focused cultivation methods. We are also dedicated to partnering with college students interested in regenerative aquaculture, and are working to incorporate this type of curriculum in California public institutions.