Middle School students at Tremont Consolidated School in Bass Harbor are participating in the Boothbay Sea and Science Center’s Science of Seaweed Farming program. This is their first year growing seedlings of Saccharina latissama (Sugar Kelp) and Alaria esculenta (Alaria Kelp) seedlings growing in their classroom tank.
The students, who are in science teacher Tonya Prentice’s classroom, are gathering data about conditions in the tank. Once the seedlings reach a certain size, they will be planted at Springtide Seaweed, owned by Sarah Redmond, in Gouldsboro.
The BSSC Exploring the Science of Seaweed Farming program is now in 15 schools in 7 counties in Maine.
This experiential program is a school-based effort exploring the conditions under which macro-algae grows and directed toward a better understanding of an industry that is having a positive economic impact worldwide and is stimulating economic growth in Maine.