🟢 These harmful algal blooms are getting worse...
PLUS: New €360 million climate fund, and CHITOSE group concludes capital increase of $21m.
"These harmful algal blooms are getting worse. They're getting more intense, more frequent, longer in duration." Michelle Gierach — deputy chief for Earth Science and Technology at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Dear algae technologists, operators, and investors, welcome to another edition of the Paxtier Report!
To kick off this week's episode, let me draw your attention back to June, when the Malama Maunalua community huki event successfully removed 5,460 lbs of invasive algae from the Paikō Restoration Area:
Once collected, the algae was then donated to Keiki & Plow Farms for recycling and composting! 🤙…
Find out more HERE.
In today’s report…
Markets: 🤝 New €360 million climate fund launches despite market downturn.
Deals: 💸 CHITOSE group successfully concludes capital increase of $21m.
Movers and Shakers: 🏆 Sea Forest in the shortlist for Prince William’s $1.9 million EarthShot prize.
Around the web: 🟢 Severe plankton bloom off Thailand creates marine dead zone.
Markets and Investing
✂️Algae Market Snippets
Some big moves in recent weeks…
General
💸 New €360 million climate fund launches despite market downturn (Read more HERE).
💸 Canadian biofilter start-up calls for pre-seed funding (Read more HERE).
Macroalgae
🤝 Nature-based environmental-credit generating companies announce Reykjavik protocol: addressing risks in carbon markets (Read more HERE).
🌱 Zayed Sustainability Prize announces 33 finalists advancing global sustainability initiatives. Features Kelp Blue (Read more HERE).
🌱 Atlantic Sea Farms launches new branding (Read more HERE).
📈 CJ to expand UK presence with Korean seaweed (Read more HERE).
🤝 Uluu has joined the Australian Research Council Future Fibres Hub with Deakin University (Read more HERE).
🌱 Aqua Design blames sargassum for water woes on Virgin Gorda (Read more HERE).
💸 PhycoHealth is launching a crowdfunding campaign (Read more HERE).
🏛️ U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) teamed up with Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Maine’s U.S. Senator Angus King to introduce the bicameral Help Our Kelp Act (Read more HERE).
🌱 Toraphene has achieved a proof of concept seaweed-based packaging film (Read more HERE).
💸 Sh266 billion (USD$106 million) fishing port will create 30,000 new jobs and support the fishing and seaweed sector in Tanzania (Read more HERE).
🌱 Sea Forest in the shortlist for Prince William’s $1.9 million EarthShot prize (Read more HERE).
📈 M.T.3’s LAVURCHIN receives Japanese pharmaceutical regulatory approval as a radiosensitizer for dogs (Read more HERE).
💸 In a recent response to requests from Caribbean leaders, the United Kingdom has launched a call for research proposals on Sargassum seaweed (Read more HERE).
🌱 Câr-y-Môr learns that its appeal against the NRW's decision had been successful, with the result that its marine licence for its three acre site will now extend to 20 years (Read more HERE).
🌱 Women continue to grow seaweed farming project in Fiji (Read more HERE).
Microalgae
💸 CHITOSE group successfully concludes capital increase of $21m. The funds raised will be allocated towards the expansion of the microalgae production facility (Read more HERE).
🟢 Lough Neagh: largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by cyanobacteria (Read more HERE).
📈 HO sports unveils sabre water ski, displacing traditional petroleum-based materials with Checkerspot’s algae based foam core (Read more HERE).
💸 The Carbon Technology Research Foundation (CTRF) funds nature-based research projects. Includes algae research (Read more HERE).
📈 TruSkin unveils longevity & collagen skincare lines made of snow algae (Read more HERE).
💸 The BBSRC funded 'Ripen' Hub has a new call for proposals - feasibility awards of up to £100K (requiring matching funds from industry), mobility awards of up to £100K and Progression Awards of up to £50K are available (Read more HERE).
💸 UCF students receive $25,000 EPA grant to develop toxin biosensor for drinking water (Read more HERE).
📈 Brilliant Planet is now a listed supplier on the Watershed Marketplace (Read more HERE).
🟢 Severe plankton bloom off Thailand creates marine ‘dead zone’ (Read more HERE).
📈 Normal Phenomena of Life, by Faber Futures and Gingko Bioworks, is the first biodesign-native lifestyle brand that aims to change how we produce and consume. Providing clues into Gingko’s algae strategy? (Read more HERE).
🌱 A New AECOM "Algae Harvesting Ship" for the Indian River Lagoon (Read more HERE).
🟢 NASA scientists using new tool to track harmful algal blooms (Read more HERE).
🤝 The joining together of research and entrepreneurs has created the Croatian World of Algae (Svijet algi) project near Zapresic (Read more HERE).
🤝Bogs have partnered with BLOOM to integrate algae-based EVA footbeds across entire line (Read more HERE).
🟢 BlueGreen Water Technologies (BlueGreen), in partnership with Brigham City, Utah, will test its methodology for carbon removal via freshwater harmful algal bloom remediation on September 25, 2023 (Read more HERE).
🤝 ALGAKTIV introduces its latest skin care product - ALGAKTIV Collage (Read more HERE).
🐦Tweets of the week
🔥 What else was hot in algae this week?
General
💸 Nature Bonds: unlocking funds for conservation and climate action (Read more HERE).
😋 Thai Union’s Chris Aurand praises innovation in Asian seafood sector (Read more HERE).
Macroalgae
📈 Is Sea Moss Austin’s next superfood? This article showcases some of the new companies using the biomass (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Sexual selection in seaweed? Testing Bateman's principles in the red alga Gracilaria gracilis (Read more HERE).
🌱 Volunteers ‘de-seaweeding’ results in dramatic 600% improvement of coral regrowth (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Kelp aquaculture as a Nature-Based Solution for coastal protection: wave attenuation by suspended canopies (Read more HERE).
🤖 How robots could grow seaweed on the oceanic farms of the future (Read more HERE).
🌱 ACPPO webinar: The slippery science of seaweed biosecurity (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Development of seaweed-derived polysaccharide/cellulose nanocrystal-based antifogging labels loaded with alizarin for monitoring aquatic products' freshness (Read more HERE).
Microalgae
🟢 Extracting photosynthetic pigments from algae beads - A nice example of a to-do-at-home experiment (Read more HERE).
📈 Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae (Read more HERE).
🟢 A quick look at biotech startup Helios-NRG, which is testing technologies for algae cultivation and carbon capture (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Biodiesel production and simultaneous treatment of domestic and livestock wastewater using indigenous microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana JD1-1 (Read more HERE).
🔁 Biotech solution: High school’s algae farm aims to curb pollution in Manila (Read more HERE).
🟢 Experts say the Canaries must learn to coexist with microalgae (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Single cell dynamics and nitrogen transformations in the chain forming diatom Chaetoceros affinis (Read more HERE).
📄 (Paper) Environmental DNA detects biodiversity and ecological features of phytoplankton communities in Mediterranean transitional waters (Read more HERE).
That’s all folks!
Thanks again for joining us this week. Hope you have a great day and stay tuned for more algae tech updates soon!
Best,
Peter