Nori Aquaculture

Japanese Nori has been prized as a delicacy for thousands of years throughout Asia. For centuries, Nori has been farmed and harvested in Japan, where the winter ocean conditions are similar to those of summer in Eastport, Maine: temporary home to PhycoGen --an experimental Nori processing plant unique in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to its use in sushi and other dishes, Nori produces a pigment used in staining cancer cells, and is thought to have much untapped potential in the biomedical field. The concept of bioremediation puts Nori nets around nutrient rich Atlantic Salmon pens, where a symbiotic relationship between species may prove to make winners out of Nori and Salmon farmers alike. Is Japanese Nori the next big resource in the Gulf of Maine? The folks at PhycoGen feel the Nori could be worth its weight in gold, and therefore, worth a try. Some scientists, however, are expressing ecological concerns over the potential effects of an introduced species running wild. As the debate goes on, the kinks of harvesting Nori are being worked out in an experimental production phase. The characteristics of this hearty seaweed make it a potentially viable crop, but also a challenge to those attempting to grow it responsibly in Maine's Cobscook Bay.