Turning a Seaweed Problem into an Opportunity: Edward Shao, ProjectQRSargasso
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Happy Planet Wednesday !
Many of you, especially those who love the Caribbean, are aware of what is now called the sargassum belt, a 5,000 mile long belt of floating sargassum seaweed mass that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico all of the way to Africa, hitting the South East coast of the United States along the way.
In normal doses, sargassum is a healthy macro algae that provides a habitat for sea life and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere. But an overabundance began in 2011 and has escalated to an ecological crisis for the affected area. This is a massive blow to the local marine ecosystem not to mention to the human one that depends on tourism and fishing in the area.
Over the past few years I’ve met a number of entrepreneurs who are focused on solving the problem. And today we are going to speak to Edward Shao of ProjectQRSargasso who is in the early stages of building a company that seeks to harvest this seaweed in order to produce three very different products from it: fertilizer for our gardens, a substrate for coral reefs, and hydrogen to fuel our homes.
This ambitious project was born of a simple desire to save the ecosystem. Like many of the entrepreneurs we’ve heard on Happy Planet, with Edward business is mission first.
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SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Many thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship.
I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups.
Oceanovation is a hub for entrepre
Listen on Apple , Spotify, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts!
I'd like to thank our sponsors:
Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bold Ocean Ventures have partnered to create a mission-driven venture capital fund, supporting the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses.
Startup Marin Skincare has rocketed thanks to products made with Maine-lobster-derived glycoprotein that work on eczema and dry skin. Former guest on our show and co-Founder Patrick Breeding is offering listeners a 20% discount on their skincare products. Type HAPPYPLANET into the coupon code field!
Spark No. 9, ensures that companies - and startups - have successful product launches by testing their products online. Remove the guesswork before you launch!
Promotional and program partners include ...
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