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Aquaculture

Climate benefits of seaweed farming

Nature Sustainability (2023)Cite this article

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Seaweed farming is gaining attention as a potential climate change mitigation solution, but how to achieve such potential is uncertain given current knowledge and practice. A study now explores how expanding seaweed farming for wider human use could reduce carbon emissions from agriculture.

Seaweed (macroalgae) naturally cycle and remove nutrients — particularly, nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon — from the ocean to fuel their own growth4. Their inherently high productivity has led to interest in cultivating seaweeds through aquaculture as a way to intentionally generate a carbon-rich biomass that can take up excess CO2 created by human activities from the environment.

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  1. Provide Food & Water Sustainably, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA

    Heidi K. Alleway

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  1. Heidi K. Alleway
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Correspondence to Heidi K. Alleway.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Alleway, H.K. Climate benefits of seaweed farming. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01044-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01044-x

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