Paul Dobbins visited The Kelp House in Northern Ireland. In the 1800‘s, The Kelp House on Rathlin Island off of Northern Ireland was used to store processed kelp before it was exported. Kelp was collected and put into stone kilns and burned until it turned into a "boiling mass”. From this the Islanders produced soda and iodine. The Kelp House is now owned by the National Trust.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page
Gary discusses Ocean Approved’s nursery operations with a delegation from County Donegal, Ireland. Donegal Mayor Noel McBride , Dessie Larkin, Chair of the Planning & Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee of the County Council, Seamus Neely, City Manager of Donegal, Michael O'Heanaigh, CEO of the County Development Board, visited the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and stopped by the nursery.
Many kelps grown in the Gulf of Maine are also native to Ireland’s waters and there was much discussion of shared opportunities for the coastal communities.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page: November 9, 2011
Tollef traveled to New York City as a guest of the Korea Agro Trade Center. Korea exports approximately 25% of its cultivated seaweed crop to the US. They were kicking off a campaign with the aid of the Culinary Institute of America to increase the consumption of seaweed in the United States.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page:
January 16, 2012
Ocean Approved met with a delegation from Amori Prefecture, Japan. Mr. Yukio Yageta, Deputy Director General, Aomori Prefecture Government (2nd from right), harvested kelp when he was younger. Ms. Kaltenbach provided translation as they discussed kelp farming and gear.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page:
Sept. 8, 2011
Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator spent time with Ocean Approved at the NOAA Fish Fry, tasting their
kelp sea slaw and talking shop. Dr. Lubchenco studied Maine seaweed during her academic career! NOAA funded the 2010 Ocean Approved research to develop nursery technologies.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page: June 30, 2011
Benji McFaul and his son head back to the harbor after showing Ocean Approved the wonderful kelp beds along the coast of Rathlin Island. Rathlin is located 6 miles off the coast of Northern Ireland and has a historical connection to Maine. Many folks from Rathlin settled in Lubec, Maine. Benji is a local lobsterman and is interested in starting a kelp farm off of Rathlin's shore.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook page.
Ocean Approved participates in the World Oceans Day at the New England Aquarium in Boston.
Source: Ocean Approved’s Facebook Page
