(Archive) Edible Seascapes

Re-imagining of coastal culture by substituting fishing with seaweed farming.

Our relationship with the ocean has changed over history. In the past century, we have changed that relationship to a more exploitative one. We are coming close to exhausting our oceans’ underwater life to feed an ever-growing population. This project focuses on creating an oceanic agricultural system that works in sinergy with the ocean, that uplifts societies and economies, while creating food and so much more. To do this, we turn to a resource that we have always had but only now we have started to appreciate: algae. Algae is a versatile element of our ecosystems. When farmed, it helps keep oceans healthy and clean. Its uses are growing more and more everyday, but some examples of its applications are in food, energy, fertilizers, bioplastics,etc. Several towns in Galicia have a history of using seaweed and seaweed is embedded into the oceanic culture. This project takes seaweed farming to an extreme. The project aim is a scalable farming system based on three different types of algae: red and brown (macro algae) and blue-green micro algae. The system will be represented in the main seaweed-harvesting town of A Guarda; but it could be applied to other contexts.