Overview

With Australia's sustainable marine innovation drive towards a greener future, the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (ASSA) leads the charge in building a thriving and sustainable commercial seaweed industry. Through pioneering research and development initiatives and leveraging strategic partnerships and advocacy efforts, ASSA is focused on shaping a high-tech, sustainable future for our oceans and coastal communities.

The Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance

Objectives

The Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (ASSA) is the peak body building a thriving and sustainable commercial seaweed industry in Australia. ASSA is developing an industry of the future, today. 

The Alliance's vision is a high-tech, high-value and sustainable seaweed industry that supports thriving oceans and coastal communities. To achieve this, it is delivering the pioneering research and scientific development required to drive seaweed cultivation at scale.

ASSA, whose founding partners are CH4 Global, the University of Tasmania, FutureFeed and the Australian Seaweed Institute, also provides a coordinated voice of leadership and advocacy for its 10 corporate member organisations, and works in partnership with aquaculture researchers, businesses and all levels of government.

Visit seaweedalliance.org.au to stay informed of the progress.

Activities

In 2023 ASSA launched the National Hatchery Network (NHN), comprising two dedicated research facilities in strategically important aquaculture regions. NHN hubs are located at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in Adelaide, and at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland. The team of marine scientists work in partnership with some of Australia’s leading universities and research bodies to progress critical research on seaweed species with a focus on methane-reducing Asparagopsis.

ASSA is developing comprehensive growers’ guides and other online tools to support industry members to scale up production. A dedicated NHN Handbook for Asparagopsis cultivation is being developed to collect all available knowledge and industry expertise. 

The Alliance is also preparing a detailed experimental plan for researchers to prove findings and make available results to industry partners.  

ASSA also connects its members to grant funding opportunities, completes industry-wide funding applications on their behalf, and keeps its members up to date on core industry issues and policy developments.

Partnering for sustainable seaweed growth with FRDC

The Australian Government has committed $8.1 million to the Developing Australia’s Seaweed Farming Program to support investment in the Australian seaweed industry and scale up the production of seaweed as a livestock feed supplement to reduce methane emissions.

ASSA works closely with FRDC, which administers the $8.1 million investment on behalf of the departments of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

Related resources

• Article: Seaweed body to grow shared goals
• Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance
• Seaweed Aquaculture in Australia
• The Australian Seaweed Industry Blueprint

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