[SEMCO] R at R at Waquoit Bay Reserve- Farming Seaweed to Clean Water- Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 pm

[Muller, Joan (DCR)]

Research @ Reserve Coffee House on Farming Seaweed to Clean Water, Thursday, November 15
On Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's Community Coffee House: Research at the Reserve series concludes with " Seaweed Farming in our Coastal Ponds for Food, Fuel, Fertilizer and Cleaner Water" presented by Scott Lindell, Director of the Scientific Aquaculture Program at the Marine Biological Laboratory.
The native seaweed, Gracilaria tikvahiae, grows abundantly in most of our coastal ponds. When cultured it can be transformed into a tasty sea vegetable for use in salads, mixed with steamed greens, or used in many other recipes. Gracilaria can also serve as an alternative fish or animal food ingredient, a feedstock for biofuel, and has traditionally been a source of agar - a common thickening agent used in ice creams and jellies.  Seaweeds can also be an effective tool for nutrient bioextraction, the practice of farming and harvesting organisms for the purpose of removing excessive nitrogen and other nutrients from degraded coastal ponds. Come hear Scott  Lindell share the results of the first growing season of a project that is documenting the removal of nitrogen by farmed seaweeds and oysters in Waquoit Bay while evaluating the business potential of seaweed farming locally.
Freshly out of graduate school at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1986, Scott co-founded an innovative integrated fish farm, AquaFuture, Inc in Turners Falls, MA where he was involved in all aspects of business planning and finance. He was responsible for operation of a 4,000 sq. ft. integrated fish culture/hydroponic vegetable facility and developed a patent for novel wastewater treatment technology for fish farming. The farm grew to be one of the largest indoor fish farms in the Eastern U.S. while  Scott was the Scientific and Environmental Director. For over 12 years, he spearheaded research and development to enhance fish farming productivity through biotechnology included selective breeding, nutrition, and improving early larval husbandry and live transport of fish to market.
This series was created to help expose community members to cutting edge science in a relaxed and informal way. The interactive coffee house format helps people feel equally comfortable asking questions and joining in the discussion or just sitting back and listening to the scientists' stories of their work. Doors open at 6:45 pm with a chance to view the exhibits in the visitor center and sample some homemade sweets and coffee and tea (and possibly even a taste of one of the seaweed recipes Scott's developed!). Participants are encouraged to bring their own mug and flashlight for traveling from the parking lot.  Admission is free. For more information, call 508-457-0495 x 107 or 108. Waquoit Bay Reserve is located at 149 Waquoit Highway (route 28), Waquoit, Massachusetts.

For more information and a downloadable flyer, go to www.waquoitbayreserve<http://www.waquoitbayreserve>


Joan Muller
Education Coordinator
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
149 Waquoit Hwy.
Box 3092
Waquoit, MA 02536
508-457-0495 x107
www.waquoitbayreserve.org<http://www.waquoitbayreserve.org>

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