MAINE’S SEAWEED MOMENT presented by the Maine Outdoor Film Festival

Join The Maine Outdoor Film Festival, The Maine Seaweed Council and The Maine Farmed Seafood Coalition and kick off Maine Seaweed Week with an evening of short films followed by a panel discussion.

Doors: 6PM, Film: 6:15PM Panel Discussion: 6:45PM

Tickets available here: maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com/maines-seaweed-moment/

FILM PROGRAM – Several short films about seaweed including the *Maine Premiere* of:

MAINE’S SEAWEED MOMENT  | 6.97 minutes | by No Umbrella Media | United States | Short synopsis: Maine’s Seaweed Moment follows seaweed farmers Nathan and Natalie Johnson, diving into their world to demonstrate how farmed seaweed can revitalize Maine’s working coastline, improve local ocean habitats, and diversify its economy. The film explores the qualities that make seaweed a conservation solution and a valuable product, and how expanding farmed seaweed markets can help address local and widespread challenges.

Moderator – Nichole Price  – Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Nichole Price is a benthic marine ecologist with interest in how global change phenomena, like ocean acidification and warming, can alter bottom-dwelling species interactions, community dynamics, and ecosystem function in shallow coastal regimes. Her work focuses primarily on the eco-physiology of seaweeds and calcifying invertebrates and their current and future role in dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrient cycling. Nichole utilizes state-of-the-art analytical tools including prototype autonomous oceanographic instrument packages in field campaigns, develops custom experimental aquaria in the lab, and applies emerging technological approaches (like environmental DNA) to tackle fundamental ecological research questions about population dynamics, biological feedbacks, and ecosystem services. Nichole also applies her expertise to explore mitigation strategies for coastal acidification (the ‘Halo’ effect) and climate change (e.g., blue carbon and uses of farmed seaweeds). She has focused on these topics primarily on tropical coral reefs and temperate systems and extrapolates her results from each biome to regional and global scales using statistical modeling.

Bailey Moritz – World Wildlife Fund Lead Expert. As the lead specialist for Seaweed and Shellfish Farming on the WWF-US Aquaculture team, Bailey supports the seaweed industry in reducing barriers to growth and advancement for climate gains. Her current region of focus is the Eastern Pacific to the North Atlantic. She oversees grants to community organizations and research institutes focused on projects ranging from the ecosystem services of seaweed and shellfish farming to installing demonstration farms in new communities. She develops workshops aimed at driving new markets for seaweed, including as a livestock feed and alternative packaging material, bringing together stakeholders across the respective value chains.

Nate Johnson – Seaweed Farmer. Nate was raised, and continues to live, on Long Island in Casco Bay, Maine. His family has lived and fished from the islands of Casco Bay for hundreds of years. Professionally he is involved multiple aspects of sustainable development in the blue economy sector – including underwater renewable power systems, aquaculture and commercial fishing. In 2015 , Nate established Shearwater Ventures as an early mover in the kelp farming industry. He served on the Boards of the Island Institute and Maine Fishermen’s Forum, the advisory committee for Maine SeaGrant, and as a member of the State of Maine’s Blue Economy Task Force.

Jaclyn Robidoux – Maine Sea Grant. As a member of the Marine Extension Team, Jaclyn focuses on the development of the seaweed sector in Maine, with an emphasis on sustainable production, post-harvest processing, and product development. Her work provides support for coastal communities through outreach education, technology transfer programs, and by coordinating stakeholders around Maine’s seaweed resources. Jaclyn’s background in technical seaweed aquaculture research helps to link ongoing applied research with industry capacity and opportunities, to foster robust and sustainable working waterfronts along Maine’s coast.

*panel subject to change.

Maine Seaweed Week is a statewide food and drink celebration featuring seaweed-inspired dishes, cocktails, and special events at restaurants, bars, breweries, and businesses across Maine. Brought to you by Maine’s seaweed experts, the week includes chef-crafted menus, tastings, and hands-on experiences that highlight the importance of seaweed to Maine’s people and coast. Seaweed Week 2026 runs April 24-May 2. Learn more at seaweedweek.org