Researchers in Maine have developed an economic modeling tool that helps kelp farmers analyze and lower production costs. The tool considers factors like farm design, weather, and equipment to identify efficiency gains. In a test scenario, it showed potential for an 85% cost reduction.
Kelp farming in Maine is expanding for uses in foods, cosmetics, and fertilizers, but high costs have challenged new growers. To help, teams from Kelson Marine in Portland, Maine, and the University of Maine built a detailed economic analysis tool. This model evaluates scenarios for nearshore and offshore operations, including large farms in the Gulf of Maine exposed to harsh waves.
The tool integrates site-specific ocean and weather data, kelp species traits, vessel types, labor, technologies, infrastructure, and maintenance. It reveals how design and operational choices interact to impact profitability. Project lead Zach Moscicki, an ocean engineer at Kelson Marine, explained its value: "By using this tool to investigate the comprehensive implications of any given farm design or operational decision, we can help kelp farmers meaningfully reduce production costs and achieve economic sustainability."
In testing, the researchers applied the model to a hypothetical 1,000-acre sugar kelp farm 12 miles offshore in 330-foot-deep water. A basic low-cost, high-output design yielded production costs of $2,618 per tonne of fresh kelp. By optimizing elements like deeper cultivation lines, mechanized seeding and harvesting equipment, on-site processing into slurry, and adjusted vessel sizes and types, costs dropped 85% to $383 per tonne.
The effort involved collaborators from the University of New Hampshire, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Vertical Bay Maine. Results appear in Algal Research (2025; 92: 104383). Funding came from Conscience Bay Research, The Builders Initiative, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King via congressional spending, and the ARPA-e MARINER program.
Damian Brady, a University of Maine marine sciences professor, noted: "What is exciting about this new model is that it is the most comprehensive and detailed cost analysis of offshore kelp growth in the U.S. to date." This work supports Maine's blue economy by advancing sustainable ocean-based industries.