The world population is growing and is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. The increasing awareness of alternative natural products has led to a growing demand for plant-based goods. Currently, there’s an urgent need to enhance Earth’s capacity to support the expanding human population and address the depletion of natural resources. Humanity seeks a sustainable resource for food and health to rely on during climate changes and the breaching of our planetary boundaries.

OUR SOLUTION
Producing healthy seaweeds via sustainable aquaculture: With 70% of our planet covered in water, marine macroalgae, commonly known as seaweeds, present a viable solution. Seaweeds offer both ecological and biotechnological benefits. Throughout history, human societies have utilized seaweeds for nutrition and medicine. They boast a rich nutritional profile and can be exploited as a sustainable alternative food source, promoting food security. Additionally, seaweeds harbor unique secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds useful for emerging health and cosmetic applications. They also provide crucial ecosystem services such as oxygen production, carbon sequestration, and nutrient mitigation. Compared to land agriculture, seaweed aquaculture requires minimal farmland, freshwater, fertilizers, or pesticides, contributing to environmental preservation.
• We’ve developed a novel seaweed cultivation approach to regulate seaweed’s chemical profile and enhance their valuable compound levels, making them exceptionally nutritional and healthy.
• This methodology enables seaweed to achieve rapid growth rates of up to 30% per day, resulting in a significant increase (up to 1000%) in protein, minerals, high-value pigments, antioxidants, and sunscreen compounds within days.
• Ensuring Sustainability: Our system’s seaweeds exhibit elevated water purification capabilities, effectively assimilating excessive nutrients and pollutants from the water.

APPLICATIONS
• Tailored production of functional seaweeds enriched with nutritional and health compounds.
• Utilization in the emerging superfood, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries worldwide.
• Promotion of Israel as a leading power in algal biotechnology.

STATUS
• A practical seaweed aquaculture approach to produce upgraded seaweed biomass for food and high-value applications.
• The technology is ready to be adopted by the industry in the immediate timeframe, promoting the blue economy concept.

REFERENCES
1. Ashkenazi, D.Y.; Segal, Y.; Ben-Valid, S.; Paz, G.; Tsubery, M.N.; Salomon, E.; Abelson, A.; Israel, Á. Enrichment of Nutritional Compounds in Seaweeds via Abiotic Stressors in Integrated Aquaculture. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 2022, 80, 103067, doi:10.1016/j.ifset.2022.103067.

2. Ashkenazi, D.Y.; Figueroa, F.L.; Korbee, N.; García-Sánchez, M.; Vega, J.; Ben-Valid, S.; Paz, G.; Salomon, E.; Israel, Á.; Abelson, A. Enhancing Bioproducts in Seaweeds via Sustainable Aquaculture: Antioxidant and Sun-Protection Compounds. Marine Drugs 2022, 20, 767, doi:10.3390/md20120767.