If you've ever wandered along a Maine beach as the tide rolled out, you might have noticed the abundance of seaweed tightly hugging the coastal rocks. These buoyant sea vegetables provide a cool, wet hiding place for small creatures like crabs, but they're also incredibly versatile for human use, from gardening to skincare to lunch; seaweed has some excellent benefits.
Here are three fantastic ways to use seaweed at home.
According to the University of Maine, there are more than 250 species of sea vegetables that include seaweed in the Gulf of Maine—most are edible, but only 11 are currently in commercial use. If you want to try eating some seaweed, try looking for these local varieties:
• DULSE
• KELP
• SEA LETTUCE
• LAVER
• NORI
• ROCKWEED
Seaweed is wonderfully nutritious. It is low in calories, carbs, and fat but high in riboflavin, thiamin, iron, manganese, and copper. Seaweed also packs a punch with antioxidants, fiber, and polysaccharides, which are all excellent for gut health.
If you're curious to try eating Maine seaweed, look for locally harvested products from these companies:
Heritage Seaweed offers dried seaweed, teas, and foods made from seaweed.
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables allows you to shop based on seaweed species or product type.
Maine Seaweed offers seaweed for the home cook, including cookbooks to help guide you through choosing and cooking with seaweed.
You can also check out your local grocery store to find seaweed chips and other seaweed snack foods.
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, seaweed has long been known as a powerhouse ingredient supporting healthy skin. Here are two simple recipes for making your own seaweed skin cream and face mask.
What you'll need:
• 2 tablespoons dried seaweed like kelp or Irish moss
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup aloe vera
• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 6 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent
What to do:
1. Brew the seaweed like tea for 30 minutes in the measured water.
2. Add the strained seaweed tea to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
3. Add the other ingredients and begin whipping until emulsified. You should end up with approximately two cups of creamy skin lotion.
What you'll need:
• 1 teaspoon seaweed powder (you can grind dried seaweed to make powder yourself).
• 2 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt (plus water, if needed)
• 1 or 2 drops of soothing essential oil like lavender
What to do:
1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until smooth. If the mask is too thick, add a few drops of water until it meets your desired consistency.
2. Spread on a clean, dry face, and let dry. Rinse with warm water and blot your skin dry with a clean towel.
Not into DIY? No problem; seaweed has become so popular that it is now ubiquitous in many skincare lines.
According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, seaweed makes an excellent addition to gardens. It adds nutrients to your garden beds and can aerate and protect the soil, especially in winter. The next time you're near the coast, grab a bucket full of seaweed and bring it home to spread over your garden.
Be mindful of how much you harvest, though. According to the Maine Seaweed Counsel, an individual can harvest up to 50 pounds daily for personal use. Visit their website to learn how to properly and ethically harvest seaweed without harming the local environment. Seaweed is a fantastic ingredient for food, beauty, and gardening — luckily for us Mainers, we sure have plenty of it. The next time you're wandering along a beach, stop to check out how cool seaweed is.
SEA Maine, an industry-led initiative to chart the future of Maine’s seafood and marine economy, will release an economic development roadmap this fall. The focus: how Maine can remain resilient in the face of climate and economic disruption and ensure that Maine’s seafood economy continues to grow. A few highlights from what SEA Maine has learned so far:
The first statewide economic study of Maine’s entire seafood sector uncovered some key data:
• The seafood sector contributed over $3.2 billion dollars in total economic output.
• Over 33,300 jobs statewide are in the seafood sector.
• The sector supports $1.3 billion in total labor income.
A study of residuals (“waste” byproducts) found:
• Maine has an estimated 57 million lbs of residuals generated every year (about 25% of the total annual seafood volume in Maine).
• Opportunities for these residuals abound and include production of healthcare and medicinal applications, textiles and bioplastics, nutritional products, novel food ingredients, pet food and treats, and plant stimulants and fertilizer.
SEA Maine completed a baseline workforce study to ensure a robust workforce for the future of Maine’s marine and seafood economy. As part of that initiative, SEA Maine will host a Seafood Educators’ Network Summit on October 6, 2023 and will launch a series of talent attraction videos and incentives in the coming months.
SEA Maine, or the Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine, is an industry-led initiative bringing together leaders in Maine’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, seafood and marine economy. Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, with match funding from the Maine Technology Institute and FocusMaine, the statewide initiative is developing a roadmap and action plan for economic growth, market and workforce development, and greater resiliency in Maine’s seafood economy.
Maine has a long cultural and economic tradition of harvesting from the sea, and Maine’s seafood economy — from harvesting, to transportation, logistics, marketing, and to food service — offers valuable employment and career opportunities. And Maine’s working waterfronts are diversifying too. They are forging innovative businesses and developing dynamic supply chains.
Our working waterfronts are resilient, and sustaining that resiliency is dependent on the availability of a trained, tech-savvy workforce. Maine’s community colleges are rising to this challenge by linking arms with partners across the State to meet this need.
Washington County Community College (WCCC) and Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) are partnering with key stakeholders including several seafood businesses across the State. Integral to the development of new programs at the community colleges are the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC) and the
Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), both of which secured USDA AFRI funding.
WCCC, founded in 1969, has worked with local seafood industries in Maine to identify workforce development needs. To support Maine’s seafood sector, a new program will soon be available at WCCC: the Aquaculture
look at this website: wccc.me.edu/professional-development/aquaculture.
A complementary USDA AFRI funded project is also underway in Southern Maine with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) and Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) partnering to develop and deliver both aquaculture workforce training courses, and a shellfish and marine algae farming pre-apprenticeship program. To find out more about this course, please take a look at this website: gmri.org/projects/maineaquaculture-apprenticeship-program.
Technology program. In the meantime, aquaculture courses are available through the WCCC Workforce Development Department.
The WCCC Aquaculture Technology program is being developed in partnership with the MAIC and Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC), with funding support from USDA AFRI. To find out more about this course and others we are developing at WCCC, please take a
This energy has continued to garner State and Federal level support with a Congressionally Directed Spending award to MAIC, Maine Community College System (MCCS), WCCC and SMCC, to support Community College seafood training programs. The 3-year project aims to forge a new system-wide approach to
STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
OUR WORKING WATERFRONTS ARE ... DEPENDENT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF A TRAINED, TECH - SAVVY WORKFORCE.
BY EMILY BAER
The famous French oceanographer Jaques Cousteau once said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” This is certainly true for me and thousands of others around the world, including an increasing number of thalassophiles (those who love being near the sea) who are discovering the wild, beautiful, and delicious world of seaweed.
Dulse, a seaweed that is common in the North Atlantic, has long been celebrated as a nutrient-dense staple in maritime cultures ranging from Canada to Iceland to Ireland, and other places along the way. For centuries, it has served an important role in both food and medicine. As aquaculture in Maine has continued to grow and diversify over the past twenty or so years, so too has the interest in dulse. With its deep reddish-purple hue and long, leathery fronds, it is now a favorite among culinary connoisseurs and sustainability advocates.
Dulse & Rugosa, a small woman-owned company in Gouldsboro, has turned an appreciation for dulse’s many
life-giving properties into a nature-inspired business and lifestyle. I first learned of their products from a friend and longtime fan who swears by the Sweet Island Face Cleanser and accompanying serum. She convinced me to order the three-piece Comfort Bundle and I too was soon ready for a deep dive into the world of seaweed skincare.
When my husband and I set out on a weekend trip to Lubec, I was determined to visit their shop in person. As we made our way across the Schoodic Peninsula, I scoured the roadside businesses for the gardens, chickens, and colorful flags that announce your approach. We almost missed it. As beautiful as the property is, the shop is tiny. If you do pass it by, it would be well worth your time to swing back around for a visit.
Housed inside a classic Maine shed, the shop is small but mighty.
Rosa Rugosa, the second plant referenced in their name, is more commonly known as the rugosa rose shrub. A hardy, fragrant rose bush that is bountiful along
Maine’s coast, it is also a key ingredient in many of the company’s specialty products. When you enter the mintgreen painted shop, you’ll smell notes of rose immediate-
ly. Inside, their soaps, serums, scrubs, and bath bombs are artfully arranged alongside an astonishing variety of seaweed-based products. Beyond beauty products, you’ll find seaweed tea, spice blends, hot sauces, and salt substitutes. There’s also a charming array of sustainable home products, toys, and accessories. Whether you’re a full-on seaweed evangelist or just getting ready to dip your toe in the water, there is something of interest for everyone. My husband, who is far more adventurous than I, picked out the Sailor's Cure-All tea, a caffeine-free blend of ginger, turmeric, and bladderwrack seaweed.
It was a cold summer night when we returned from our trip Downeast, and we were exhausted from a weekend of exploring. As we unpacked and settled in, my husband offered a cup of tea. Soon, the deep, intriguing aroma of his newly acquired tea filled our kitchen. Seaweed, not surprisingly, is an acquired taste, but it is a strangely magical experience to get to know the sea in this whole new way. If you let it, seaweed can cast a spell of its own.
...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
addressing seafood workforce needs so that together SMCC and WCCC can prepare future generations of Mainers for entry-level positions in the seafood sector, paving pathways for lifelong in-demand, high-wage careers. The collaboration will bring together the MAIC, MCCS, WCCC, SMCC along with the SEA Maine, the Downeast Institute, Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Lobster Dealers Association, Maine 4-H, Sunrise County Economic Council, Maine Sea Grant, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to develop world class training and education programs for the next generation of Maine’s workforce in the seafood sector.
Together Maine’s Community Colleges are building bridges between institutions and developing career pathways between the non-credit work at SMCC and the academic credited work at WCCC to provide vocational entry points to the seafood industry. This includes
the development of co-branded microcredentials that allow students to highlight the industry-relevant knowledge and skills they have garnered. In the aquaculture sector in particular, WCCC and SMCC have worked to design and deliver training programs that align with the Maine Aquaculture Occupational Standards developed by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Maine Aquaculture Association to ensure that aquaculture workforce training remains relevant to Maine’s rapidly evolving and growing industry.
Aligning the training needs of employers with career aspirations of employees is not easy. Developing new training programs that capture these needs and deliver the right balance of accessibility with hands-on, field-based learning is also not easy. But WCCC and SMCC are embracing the challenges of training a skilled and ready workforce for the next generation of Maine’s seafood.
With a median age of nearly 45, Maine is the oldest state in the country and has the oldest workforce. Though the state's tourism industry is booming and offers many seasonal jobs to young Mainers, a lack of long-term prospects hinders their ability to put down roots. As young people look to build a life in Maine, they are met with fewer long term career opportunities. They are also seeking green jobs that have a positive impact on the planet. With more coastline than the state of California and a burgeoning aquaculture sector, Maine is becoming a destination for young people seeking green careers through aquatic farming.
As Maine’s aquaculture businesses grow, so does the need for workforce development. The sector has the ability to solve many of the demographic issues facing Maine, but workforce bottlenecks can stunt potential growth. Many small farms in the state are looking to scale up their operations, but they can only do so with steady, reliable help.
Earlier this year, we launched the nation’s first accredited aquaculture apprenticeship program, designed to provide opportunities to those looking for full-time, yearround employment in Maine aquaculture. The Maine Shellfish and Seaweed Aquaculture Apprenticeship pro-
gram was created in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, FocusMaine, the Maine Department of Labor, and Educate Maine, with support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It is a 2,000hour paid apprenticeship program where participants can earn an accredited aquaculture certification. Upon completion of their apprenticeships, many of the cohort members will be hired full time by their host farms.
We had the chance to meet up with some of this year’s apprenticeship cohort to chat with them about their experience in the program. Originally from Ohio, Kat Lipp, 31, started her fishing career in Alaska but recently decided to move to Maine to explore opportunities in aquaculture. Now, she is working as a farm hand at Mere Point Oyster Company in Brunswick. “This experience has been very fulfilling, mentally, physically, and emotionally,” says Lipp. “I’m definitely set up for success to find a position I really enjoy after the apprenticeship.”
Alex McBroom, 32, relocated to Maine from California for the apprenticeship program. “I got the job on March 17, and on April 2 I was driving across the country to come here,” says McBroom, who is spending his summer working at Marshall Cove Mussel Farm off Islesboro.
Matt Czuchra, 23, originally from Lincolnville, moved back to Maine after completing his oceanography degree at Dalhousie University. With experience working as a deckhand on Vertical Bay scallop farm in Penobscot Bay, he was able to start as a farm manager this summer at Ferda Farms, an oyster farm in Brunswick.
These young people are taking big steps to invest in their future and in Maine. Let’s help the aquaculture sector grow and thrive so these folks and future generations can continue to build a life on the coast of Maine.
Raising tropical fish is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the aquaculture industry in Maine. Nevertheless, Sea & Reef Aquaculture, a company specializing in aquaculture of marine ornamental fish is thriving in Downeast Maine. On any given day thousands of small brightly colored fish dart about in the numerous indoor warm water tanks. The fish are sold to pet stores and distributors nationwide, and even exported to overseas destinations, including the UK, Canada and China. Soren Hansen, a native of Denmark, started the company when he was a graduate student at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences.
The idea was born out of environmental concerns. Each year, about 30 million fish are collected from coral reefs around the world for the marine aquarium hobby. Unethical collection methods, including the use of poisonous sodium cyanide, and the stress of shipping fish long distances results in mortality rates of 80-90% of wild collected fish. In contrast, the captive-bred fish from Sea & Reef are healthy and already accustomed to tank conditions and aquarium type diets when purchased at pet stores. Captive-bred fish are environmentally sustainable.
In 2011, when Hansen finished his Ph.D. graduate work, Sea & Reef was relocated to the Center for Coop-
erative Aquaculture Research in Franklin, where it is leasing a 12,000 sq. ft. facility from the University of Maine. It might seem counterintuitive to place a tropical fish hatchery in Maine, but with the help of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in a bio-secure and insulated facility, it makes sense. Currently almost 100 different fish species and color morphs are being raised at the Franklin facility. The most popular fish are clownfish such as the one portrayed in the Disney movie “Finding Nemo,” but other families of fish cultured include Dottybacks, Blennies, Damselfish and Cardinalfish. The company has even developed clownfish with unique color patterns through selective breeding. These “designer Clownfish” are in high demand and have names such as “Maine Blizzard Clownfish,” “Maine Mocha Clownfish” and “Black Ice Clownfish.”
The reference to Maine is not by mistake. Maine is a vacationland full of beautiful nature and clean oceanwater, which compliments the sustainable and environmentally friendly nature of Sea & Reef’s captive-bred fish. Home pride.
The company growth has been significant, from 2 fulltime employees in 2011 to 10 full-time employees now. Several of the company’s biological staff graduated from
the University of Maine and The University of New England. It is a fun place to work for a fish enthusiast and the employee retention rate is high. The two first hires are still with the company. Hatchery manager Brandon Weik and assistant hatchery manager Jonathan Labrecque who have been with the company for 14 and 13 years respectively. If you are interested in learning more about the company or think you might be the next Sea & Reef employee, you can find out more on their website: www.seaandreef.com.
BY JOSH DEAKIN
The state of Maine is renowned for its seafood. People travel from all over to try our lobster, salmon, oysters, and more — much of which is produced through aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants.
Aquaculturists utilize rivers, special cages in the ocean, and recirculating tanks on land to raise various plants and animals. According to the Maine Aquaculture Association, “Aquaculture provides over 50 percent of the world’s seafood supply, a figure which is expected to reach 63 percent by the year 2030..
The Maine Aquaculture Association has been around since 1978, focusing on
growing shellfish, fin fish, and sea vegetables. As their mission statement states, “We have worked to support Maine’s aquatic growers in developing economically and environmentally sustainable business practices, promote the benefits of aquaculture in the local food system, and preserve Maine’s heritage of a vibrant working waterfront.”
So, why not just go fishing? Well, there’s simply too many people. The world’s population grows every year and it’s become a bigger obstacle to create a sustainable food source system.
“Seafood has the lowest feed conversion ratio of all animal protein, requiring only 1.1 lbs of feed to produce 1 lb of body mass,” the Maine Aquaculture Association states. “Environmentally responsible aquaculture is an important tool to fight food insecurity while managing the Earth’s natural resources for future generations.”
Maine’s coastal waters have been an integral part of the aquaculture industry. In 2018, there were a reported 190
individual aquatic farms in the state. In 2019, there was a total of 1,558 acres of coastal waters designated for aquaculture. The industry has supported over 500 jobs, and in 2018 alone the Maine Department of Marine Resources reported $72 million in harvest value.
According to the Maine Aquaculture Association, “Maine farmers raised Atlantic salmon, blue oysters, blue mussels, different species of seaweed, scallops, soft shell clams, razor clams, surf clams, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, halibut, and green sea urchins.” This showcases how Maine’s aquatic farmers have diversified since the 1970s when the product was focused solely on oysters, mussels, and salmon.
Over the years, Maine’s aquaculture industry has become even more important. While the economy used to be lush with different types of fisheries including cod, flounder, and skate, today most of Maine’s fisheries have focused primarily on the American lobster. According to the
Maine Aquaculture Association, “While Maine’s lobster fishery is remarkably well-managed, the industry is threatened by changing ocean temperatures, acidification and pollution, and increased pressures on fishermen including rising bait prices and whale protection regulations.”
In addition to these challenges, there is a moratorium in place where commercial fishing licenses have a waiting period of up to 10 years for prospective captains. The barriers to entry are high for this industry and makes it hard for the younger generation to get involved.
The aquaculture industry provides an entry point for people to work on the water and benefit the state’s marine economy. The Maine Aquaculture Association states on their website, “The industry may help mitigate environmental and economic issues by providing jobs and keeping working waterfronts alive in Maine, ensuring that future generations may continue to access and make a living on the water.”
IN ADDITION TO EMPOWERING MAINE’S AQUATIC ECONOMICS, THE MAINE AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION ALSO OFFERS TASTY RECIPES USING LOCAL PRODUCTS. (SCAN QR CODE FOR RECIPE.)BLACKENED ATLANTIC SALMON WITH MANGO SALSA SICHUAN CUCUMBER & KELP SALAD WITH PICKLED VEGETABLES MAINE MUSSELS WITH THAI COCONUT CURRY
Atlantic salmon farming has grown and developed on the East Coast of Maine since the early 1980s and its success could not have happened at a better time for our Maine working waterfronts.
“There were sardine factories here and there were five or six sardine carriers and now there’s none,” said Dean Pike, owner of Moose Island Marine in Eastport. “As fate had it, the waning of the sardine industry actually coincided with the growth of the salmon industry. It’s been good for us and good for the whole city.”
Cooke Aquaculture has fully-integrated salmon aquaculture operations in Maine – meaning they are involved in the entire process of growing Atlantic salmon from the egg to the plate.
The company operates freshwater hatcheries in Gardner Lake, Bingham and Oquossoc. The teams at those fa-
Mark Trynor has been working with Cooke for about 15 years. He’s worked as a technician on the farm sites and he’s now working as a mate on the company’s larger vessels.
“It takes a lot of people to grow salmon,” he said, adding that the support of local businesses, like Moose Island Marine and others, is critical.
“We have the local business that help us with things like electrical service or mechanics that specialize in the motors that we run in our barges and there’s the parts stores that supply us what we need.”
As someone who works closely with salmon farmers, Pike said he sees the commitment and the benefits the industry brings to the community.
“There’s somebody from Cooke in here almost every day. For us at Moose Island Marine, it’s a big part of what we do,” he said.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:
• CAPTAIN – LARGE VESSEL – EASTPORT
• ENGINE ROOM TECHNICIAN – LARGE VESSEL – EASTPORT
cilities will spawn the mature fish, hatch the eggs and raise the juvenile salmon in freshwater until they are ready to swim in the ocean.
It’s a process that mimics the lifecycle of the wild Atlantic salmon. In nature, Atlantic salmon spawn in freshwater rivers and streams where the eggs will hatch and juveniles will grow. When they grow into the smolt stage of their lifecycle, salmon are ready to swim out to sea to feed and grow before returning to their home rivers to spawn.
In the farm environment, the smolts are transported from the hatchery to marine farm sites off the shores of places like Eastport, Machiasport, Black Island and Swan’s Island.
On the ocean farms, the Cooke team cares for and grows those fish from smolts that weigh around 150 grams (five ounces) until they are ready for market at about 12 pounds. That care includes daily feeding, regular check-ups from fish health veterinarians, weekly dives to monitor the fish and the cage and net system and regular cleaning of the nets with remote controlled robotic cleaners.
Once the farming teams have grown the fish to market size, crews harvest the fish for processing at a facility in Machiasport. The entire process takes about three years –and a lot of care and expertise.
The fresh salmon is then delivered to customers locally and nation-wide. It’s sold as whole fish, fillets, steaks, portions, skewers and flavored products. It can also be made into hot or cold smoked salmon, candied salmon or salmon burgers.
Trynor said it’s a good feeling to be part of a company that delivers quality food while also making an impact on local communities. “It makes me proud to know that I get to contribute healthy food to our local community, our local people, and also all around the nation.”
He’s also happy that the salmon farming industry has helped people like him continue to live and work in Downeast Maine.
“It’s wonderful knowing that you can have a job like this, make good money and be able to support and raise a family in this town that’s quiet and peaceful,” he said.
• DECKHAND – LARGE VESSEL –EASTPORT
• MATE – LARGE VESSEL – EASTPORT
• CHIEF ENGINEER – LARGE VESSEL –EASTPORT
• FISH PROCESSING TECHNICIAN –MACHIASPORT
• MAINTENANCE MECHANIC TECHNICIAN – MACHIASPORT
• MAINTENANCE VESSEL DECKHAND –MACHIASPORT
• HATCHERY TECHNICIAN - OQUOSSOC
• HATCHERY TECHNICIAN – BINGHAM
• SALTWATER MARINE TECHNICIAN –BLACK ISLAND & MACHIASPORT
“IT MAKES ME PROUD TO KNOW THAT I GET TO CONTRIBUTE HEALTHY FOOD TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, OUR LOCAL PEOPLE, AND ALSO ALL AROUND THE NATION.”
