Seaweed and Microalgae

Becoming a Global Leader in Algae-Based Innovation

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is a world-renowned hub of research and technology around seaweed and microalgae. We’re empowering entrepreneurs, supporting Maine’s strong aquaculture industry, and accelerating the translation of algae-based innovations to market.

As the home of the Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota since 1980, we maintain one of the most diverse collections of marine algae in the world. Leveraging that vast genetic potential, we’re building core knowledge about the applications of algae to transform the way we feed the world, cure disease, and build a sustainable future.

Resources

• Bigelow Analytical Services (BAS)
• Center for Algal Innovations (CAI)
• Center for Seafood Solutions (CSS)
• Coast Cow Consumer Research Program
• Interagency Working Group for Farming Seaweeds and Seagrasses
• Maine Algal Research Infrastructure and Accelerator (MARIA)
• Maine Blue Carbon Network
• National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA)

Media Coverage

• Something in the water: how kelp is helping Maine’s mussels boom June 11, 2025The Guardian
• Could cows get eco-friendlier in New York? June 8, 2025Hudson Valley Viewfinder Magazine
• Maine leading the way in seaweed farming, the new frontier of American agriculture June 2, 2025Bangor Daily News
• 'Chemical warfare' may stop Maine's degraded kelp forests from recovering, study shows May 22, 2025WBUR
• Seaweed Saturday in Portland drew hundreds to celebrate, taste and learn about the fishery April 27, 2025Maine Public
• Protecting Maine's unsung underwater hero - algae March 20, 2025The Times Record
• Feeding cows seaweed could cut methane emissions and diversify Maine’s coastal economy, but can it scale? March 9, 2025Inside Climate News
• Seaweed farms show potential for carbon storage that gets better with age January 24, 2025Phys.org
• Maine's kelp forests, a foundation for marine life, face 'widespread collapse' as oceans warm November 12, 2024Boston Globe