Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension Ali Hill and graduate student Liz Saunders traveled to Oban, Scotland earlier this summer for the 2nd annual conference of the International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC).
IBMC, co-led by Dr. Hill, aims to spur growth in the global macroalgae (seaweed) market. Seaweed has strong potential for climate mitigation and economic development since seaweed-derived products like biostimulants, food, biodegradable plastics, fabrics, and more can substitute for conventional, emissions-intensive alternatives. At the conference, Liz Saunders presented their joint work on barriers to seaweed farming, and Ali Hill presented her work on measuring the bioeconomy’s labor market. Conference attendees also visited the Scottish Association for Marine Science facilities and seaweed farm to learn more about how seaweed is grown and studied.