Overview
How an $8.1 million Australian Government program is helping grow a sustainable seaweed farming industry.
Why seaweed farming matters
Seaweed farming offers significant environmental and economic benefits for Australia. Certain species, such as Asparagopsis, can substantially reduce methane emissions when added to cattle feed, while other seaweeds help improve coastal water quality by absorbing excess nutrients. Seaweed farms also create valuable marine habitat and can assist in restoring degraded coastal ecosystems. As the industry grows, it is generating new regional jobs through the establishment of farms, hatcheries and processing facilities. At the same time, seaweed is driving innovation, with Australian producers developing new feed additives, food ingredients and a range of other high-value bioproducts.
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Outcomes
Coordinating a new national seaweed industry
(2022-207)
FRDC funded a national coordination project led by the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (ASSA) to help steer early industry growth.
Key outcomes
- Set up national governance and reporting forums, including a Seaweed Investment Steering Committee, to guide future investment.
- Built shared work plans for communications, policy and R&D, so different projects and organisations are pulling in the same direction.
- Ran industry workshops and communication campaigns (podcasts, conferences, social media) to grow public awareness and industry networks.
Materials
Making it easier to start and regulate seaweed farms
(2023-194 & 2023-196)
FRDC supported the creation of Seaweed Central – a one-stop online portal with practical information on how to start and run a seaweed farm in Australia.
Key outcomes
- Launched the Seaweed Central Portal to bring together regulatory guidance, educational resources and market information.
- Mapped the approvals process across Australian states and territories, so farmers and regulators can see what’s required at a glance.
- Developed user guides and video walkthroughs to help new users navigate the site and permitting steps.
Materials
Turning environmental benefits into real value
(2023-190)
Seaweed farms can store carbon, remove nutrients and support biodiversity. One project examined how these benefits could be recognised in carbon, nutrient and biodiversity credit schemes, helping make seaweed farming more financially attractive.
Key outcomes
- Identified realistic pathways for carbon credits (e.g. long-life products, emissions abatement, onshore CO₂ capture).
- Explored nutrient and biodiversity credits linked to cleaner water and improved marine habitat.
- Developed a policy position to advocate for seaweed to be recognised in national environmental markets and schemes.
Materials
Using seaweed to clean up coastal waters
(2023-193)
A national modelling project tested how different seaweed species could help remove excess nutrients (like nitrogen) from Australian coastal waters – a key pressure from farming, sewage and other human activities.
Key Outcomes
- Found sea lettuce (Ulva) is particularly effective at removing nitrogen and tolerates a wide range of conditions.
- Showed ecklonia radiata works well in cooler southern waters, including Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.
- Identified the most promising regions around Australia to test seaweed farms as a nature-based solution for water quality.
Materials
Growing Asparagopsis efficiently and at scale
Several projects focused on Asparagopsis, the methane-reducing red seaweed, to improve hatchery techniques, growth conditions and processing.
5.1 Building reliable hatchery methods
(2022-208 & 2023-078)
- Developed step-by-step hatchery protocols for Asparagopsis armata and A. taxiformis – covering seasonality, sterilisation, growth and reproduction.
- Produced an Asparagopsis Hatchery Manual that growers can use to set up or improve their own hatchery systems.
Materials
5.2 Optimising Growth conditions
(2023-165 & 2023-188)
- Identified the best light levels and colours (low-to-moderate intensity, blue light) to boost growth and minimise contamination in land-based cultivation.
- Pinpointed optimal CO₂ levels and pH (around 7.5) to support healthy growth without wasting carbon or harming cultures.
- Developed a refined nutrient medium tailored to Asparagopsis, showing that the seaweed prefers ammonium and that removing certain nutrients can both improve growth and reduce contamination.
Materials
5.3 Making the most of every tonne of seaweed
(2023-175)
- Demonstrated a biorefinery approach that can turn Asparagopsis into multiple valuable products – not just methane-reducing feed ingredients, but also food colours, emulsifiers and pharmaceutical-grade compounds.
- Showed how a zero-waste, circular system could work for seaweed, with complete utilisation of the harvested biomass.
Materials
Building industry capability & International learning
(2023-095)
FRDC supported a delegation of 15 people from the Australian seaweed industry, government and research institutions to undertake a study tour of the South Korean seaweed industry, visiting farms, processing facilities, research institutes and government agencies to understand how a mature seaweed sector operates at scale.
Key outcomes
- Documented how long-standing cultural acceptance of seaweed in South Korea underpins strong social licence for large-scale seaweed farming, offering lessons for improving community support in Australia.
- Highlighted the role of cooperatives, vertical integration and government-backed R&D and hatchery facilities in improving efficiency, supply-chain connectivity and product diversification.
- Identified practical farming, processing and automation techniques, as well as opportunities for joint product development and market partnerships, that could be adapted to Australian conditions.
Materials
What difference did the whole program make?
(2023-160)
An independent impact assessment looked across nine projects in the program to see whether the investment made sense for Australia.
Key outcomes
- Benefit–Cost Ratio of 8.4, meaning the assessed projects are expected to return about $8 in benefits for every $1 invested.
- Stand-out benefits from the Seaweed National Hatchery Network, with a Net Present Value of $60.01 million and BCR of 8.4.
- Identified strong potential for methane mitigation, regulatory reform and small-producer participation as the industry develops.
