Greenwave Aotearoa Project Lead Rebecca Barclay-Cameron says Greenwave Aotearoa’s regenerative ocean farming pilot has laid the foundation for a new aquaculture industry, demonstrating that seaweed aquaculture is not only feasible but holds significant promise for New Zealand’s economic and environmental future. The initiative, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and EnviroStrat, aimed to pave the way for a new seaweed farming industry in New Zealand.

In late October, GreenWave US and Greenwave Aotearoa co-hosted an insightful webinar exploring the emerging rimurimu-seaweed sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. This event showcased significant advancements in hatchery and farm production of local seaweed species like Ecklonia radiata, addressing both the opportunities and challenges of moving beyond pilot-scale production.

In October, Greenwave Aotearoa and EnviroStrat hosted the Kelp for Climate Tour with UK seaweed expert Peter Green. His keynote at the Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Summit explored seaweed’s role in climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable economic growth, with global experts discussing blue carbon and high-value market opportunities in New Zealand’s emerging seaweed sector.

Kinanomics and Greenwave Aotearoa were the proud major sponsors of the Kelp Forest Photo Awards.

Aaron Eger from Kelp Forest Alliance shares his thoughts on the purpose behind this event, which ask us how we create and maintain personal connections to a rapidly changing ocean?

The "Hidden Forests Around Us" theme invited photographers to capture how kelp forests are connected to our daily lives and how we as a society can build a new relationship with our ocean to save them.