In this first episode, I talk with Dr Thierry Chopin, a professor of Marine Biology and huge global expert on seaweed cultivation (full bio below). He has worked on seaweed for more than 40 years and has published over 250 papers, including the recent “Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?”. We talk about his concerns around the risks associated with overinflating seaweed’s role as a climate solution, but also his vision for a “bright future” in the seaweed industry.

Useful Links:

Dr Chopin’s company, the Turquoise Revolution
Dr Chopin’s LinkedIn profile
Dr Chopin’s recent paper: “Farming the Ocean – Seaweed as a Quick Fix for the Climate?”
Video of the ice bucket challenge on youtube and loads of other interviews and media with Dr Chopin
The team at Magellan Aqua Farms

Dr. Thierry Chopin’s Bio:

Dr. Thierry Chopin’s was born and educated in France (PhD from the University of Western Brittany, Brest). He moved to Canada in 1989 and is Professor of Marine Biology at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. He is also the President of two companies: Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc. and Turquoise Revolution Inc.

His research focuses on the ecophysiology, biochemistry and cultivation of seaweeds of commercial value and the development of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems for increased environmental sustainability, economic diversification and societal acceptability.

Dr. Chopin promotes a greener Blue Economy, the Turquoise Economy, in which ecosystem services, provided in particular by extractive aquaculture (seaweeds and invertebrates), are recognized, valued and used as financial and regulatory incentives, through nutrient trading credits, within a circular economy approach.