Kelp cost modeling tool for Maine seaweed farms reveals major savings options

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 25, 2025

A new economic analysis tool for kelp farming, created by Kelson Marine and the University of Maine, is helping operators assess site selection, weather effects, crop size, and operational factors across both nearshore and offshore environments including the open Gulf of Maine.

The team developed the tool to address the high startup and operational costs faced by new kelp farmers and to help them build sustainable business models.

According to project lead Zach Moscicki, ocean engineer at Kelson Marine, "By using this tool to investigate the comprehensive implications of any given farm design or operational decision, we can help kelp farmers meaningfully reduce production costs and achieve economic sustainability. The tool allows us to carefully navigate the multitude of tradeoffs associated with any such decision and avoid leaning into overly narrow-scoped improvements that may reduce costs in one way, but increase costs or reduce production via some other indirect but connected pathway."

The tool integrates a variety of scenario parameters including site-specific ocean and meteorological data, kelp species and cropping habits, labor structure, workboat technologies, infrastructure needs, and schedules for both routine upkeep and unforeseen maintenance.

Researchers tested the model by running a detailed scenario on a hypothetical 1,000-acre sugar kelp farm situated 12 miles off the coast and 330 feet below the surface. By examining different combinations of design and operational strategies, the model determined that traditional low-cost, high-volume approaches could cost $2618 per metric ton of fresh kelp.

The analysis identified key changes - such as deploying deeper cultivation lines, using mechanized systems for harvesting and seeding, processing the kelp into slurry on-site, and optimizing vessel selection - that together reduced predicted production costs by 85 percent, to $383 per metric ton.

Kelson Marine and UMaine collaborated with contributors from the University of New Hampshire, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and Vertical Bay Maine. "What is exciting about this new model is that it is the most comprehensive and detailed cost analysis of offshore kelp growth in the U.S. to date," stated Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences at UMaine. "And this type of analysis helps us find pain points where investments in technology can rapidly change the cost-benefit analysis."

The tool is now available to kelp farmers seeking detailed cost assessments. For case study results and the underlying analytical framework, see the publication in Algal Research or contact Zach Moscicki at Kelson Marine.

Research Report: Comprehensive quantification of production costs for large-scale kelp aquaculture and cost reduction opportunities