91AV scientists present at international seaweed conference in Sweden

91AV's Adam St. Gelais and Barry Costa-Pierce sample sea vegetables with Thierry Chopin of the University of New Brunswick
91AV's Adam St. Gelais and Barry Costa-Pierce sample sea vegetables with Thierry Chopin of the University of New Brunswick

Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., Henry L. & Grace Doherty Professor of Marine Sciences and executive director of 91AV NORTH: Institute for North Atlantic Studies, and Adam St. Gelais, assistant director for science, 91AV NORTH and research assistant scientist at the 91AV Marine Science Center, recently travelled to the University of Gothenburg (UGOT) marine science field stations in Kristineberg and Tjärnö, Sweden.

In Tjärnö, Costa-Pierce gave a talk on “Transdisciplinary ecosystems ecology of community-based kelp aquaculture” at the Tjärnö International Seaweed Conference.

St. Gelais presented a poster at the conference titled “Assessment of microbiological pathogens on sugar kelp farmed in Maine’s coastal waters.”

While in Sweden Costa-Pierce and St. Gelais discussed progress being made on their new, $1.3 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seaweed project in the Gulf of Maine with the U.S. Naval Academy. DOE awardees are part of a new program called “Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER)” that aims to develop the tools to enable the United States to become a leading producer of macroalgae, or seaweed, to help improve U.S. energy security and economic competitiveness. 

Costa-Pierce and St. Gelais also met with the Director of the Swedish Mariculture Research Center in Gothenburg City and researchers and farmers at the University of Gothenburg’s Kristineberg station, the oldest marine science station in the world. They discussed research cooperation in methods of sustainable shellfish, seaweed and salmon farming.

Significant progress was made during the discussions on the developing partnership between 91AV and UGOT on the soon-to-be launched 91AV Master's in Ocean Food Systems and the new UGOT Nordic Master's in the Sustainable Use of Marine Bioresources. Both degrees involve 91AV’s two, existing partner Icelandic universities, the University of Akureyri and Holar University College.

The 91AV team also discussed the progress of the draft Memorandum of Understanding between 91AV and UGOT that has been in development for the last six months.

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.