The Species of The Seaweed Company
The ocean holds a vast array of resources that have been utilized by humans for centuries, with seaweed being one of them. Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to about 10,000+ species globally. Marine macro algae are saltwater-dwelling, simple organisms that fall into the rather outdated category of “plants”. Most species fall into green (about 1200 species), brown (about 1750 species) or red (about 6000 species) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitats for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources. Humans have a long history with seaweed for food and medicine dating as far back as 2700 BC. The first rudimentary attempts of farming of seaweed began as early as 1670 in Japan.
The discovery of extraction of polysaccharides like agar, carrageenan and alginates has led to large scale cultivating of seaweeds for their use. In recent years, seaweed farming has become a global agricultural practice, providing food, source material for various chemical uses (such as carrageenan), cattle feeds, and fertilizers. Because of their importance in marine ecology and for absorbing carbon dioxide, recent attention has been on cultivating seaweeds as a potential climate change mitigation strategy for biosequestration of carbon dioxide, alongside other benefits like nutrient pollution reduction, increased habitat for coastal aquatic species, and reducing local ocean acidification. The Seaweed Company (TSC) is also capturing the value of macroalgae by growing, harvesting, and creating products from seaweed.
Over the last 3 years attention to seaweed farming has grown tremendously due to the ability of seaweed to be part of a possible climate change solution. Globally, only about 40 species are commercially exploited. To maximize impact The Seaweed Company has selected several key species to cultivate that will be used in food, feed, and other applications to create impact in many sectors, such as agriculture, health, biomaterials etc.
If we look at global seaweed cultivation, the majority of commercially cultivated seaweeds is in (98%) Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Indonesia), where seaweeds are mainly used directly as food, such as nori in Japan, or as food thickening and gelling agents (known as hydrocolloids), such as agar, alginate, and carrageenan. These food thickeners can be found in yogurts, salad dressing, ice cream, and sauces for example.
Of the 40 species harvested commercially, The Seaweed Company has carefully selected 10 species based on cultivation ease, bioactivity and other key performance indicators to exploit, making TSC a unique multi-species seaweed company!
There is a plethora of bioactive compounds in seaweeds of which many are related to good health, such as minerals and insoluble fiber antioxidants, and they have gained popularity due to their possible roles in prevention of diseases. Seaweeds are a source of some incredibly important bioactive compounds, with each species having unique compounds related to effects on areas, such as antitumor, antimicrobial, or anti-inflammatory.
Some of the species we grow and use in The Seaweed Company are:
Alaria esculenta
Alaria, also known as Atlantic Wakame or winged-kelp, is a species of brown algae that grows in the North Atlantic. At The Seaweed Company, Alaria is our main species at our Ireland locations and was chosen as one of TSC’s species due to its importance as a food source and high value. In addition to food, Alaria has been shown to have antibacterial properties against E. coli and Staphycococcus.
Ulva sp.
Ulva, also known as sea lettuce, is a green alga that is circumglobal and is harvested and processed by TSC. At elevated nutrient loads (nitrogen and phosphorus) this seaweed blooms. By removing these seaweeds it is beneficial for the inshore waters and is a species TSC uses in their product portfolio. Ulva has been shown to have antifungal properties, possess antioxidant molecules, and have anti-hypertension effects demonstrating its vast potentials for human health. Ulva is a popular food item in salads, and can also be dried and turned into a powder. In powder form, Ulva can be added to feed products to promote Blue Farming and improve the health of livestock.
Saccharina latissima
Saccharina, also known as sugar kelp, is a species of brown algae that grows in cold water. Saccharina has shown to be antiviral in agricultural applications and has one of the best profiles of amino acids necessary for fish feed. Because of these properties, Saccharina also has great potential for Blue Farming and animal feed products.
The species used in The Seaweed Company are at the heart of what we do allowing us to uniquely be called “The Seaweed Company”. Without seaweed, it would be a dull world. Each type of seaweed we use is important to our overall operations and brings unique benefits to the company in forms of blue farming, blue health, and climate action and impact.
About The Seaweed Company
The Seaweed Company was founded in 2018 and specializes in the development of high value products for humans, animals, soils, and plants and in the cultivation of traceable seaweed species at commercial scale. The Seaweed Company has its own seaweed production locations in Ireland, Morocco, India and The Netherlands and has developed products that contribute to sustainable agriculture. The Seaweed Company is actively involved with innovative research around applications in the medical field (Alzheimer and diabetes), functional food (alternative proteins), sustainable materials (natural composites) and sustainable seaweed cultivation methodologies. The Seaweed Company has a strong focus on Blue Farming, where we use the blue strength of the sea to support our land. Our TopHealth Plants product is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel based fertilisers and pesticides.
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