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Although half a decade have already passed following the devastation of super typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, limited studies on the status of the seaweed aquaculture industry have been reportedly published, specifically on the gendered differences of the key players in the production activities. The purpose of this empirical research is to present the different characteristics of producers; technology used in farming; gendered differences in labor; sources of propagules; and yield, productivity and income of seaweed farmers in five rural-poor coastal communities in Eastern Samar, the Philippines.

The data were gathered through a combination of fieldworks and desk research and were analyzed using a value chain and gender needs assessment analyses. A four-part, self-made guide questionnaire was used as an instrument. The data were presented and analyzed using thematic analysis.

The results demonstrate that the modified monoline method is the technology used by the seaweed farmers. Propagules are usually supplied for free by the BFAR or bought from neighboring villages. A monthly income of PhP 19,500.00 (US$393.00) can be generated from seaweed farming. Division of labors in most of the seaweed production processes is equally distributed between men and women with help from their boys-and-girls children. Increasing further the number of lines per seaweed grower to at least 25 will enable them to go beyond the poverty threshold, based on 2015 figures of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

This study provides additional empirical data to substantiate and prove that women’s active involvement in seaweed production provides them an important opportunity to earn some income for themselves and their families and contribute to livelihood and enterprise development in their communities.

This study is helpful in constructing an Industry Development Plan to serve as the Seaweed Industry Road Map for progress, thereby, helping men and women seaweed growers especially in rural-poor coastal areas.

Aside from being conducted in a post-disaster context, the data and recommendations presented in this paper contribute to the body of knowledge that government and non-government institutions, private individuals and groups and the academia could use in understanding the economic, commercial and community development contributions, gaps and constraints in producing seaweed in rural-poor coastal communities.

This paper serves as an in-depth empirical study reflective of the post-disaster, current gendered labor practices, culture, knowledge and attitude of the seaweed producers in the Philippines. More importantly, this study was conducted by a local researcher, thereby reflecting empirical findings and recommendations that are strategic, gender and culture-sensitive and timely and relevant.

This study aimed to identify and profile segments of seaweed consumers in the United Kingdom.

Hierarchical k-means cluster analysis was used to identify consumer segments based on consumers' self-identity and environmental values. In addition, the study used subjective knowledge, intentions and consumption to profile different consumer segments. The data were collected in 2022 through a consumer survey with a representative sample from the United Kingdom (n = 1,110).

Cluster analysis segmented consumers into three groups: progressive (39%), conservative (33%) and egoistic (28%). The progressive segment was most likely to consume seaweed food products. Consumers in the progressive segment identify themselves as food innovative and healthy; they also highly value the environment and their pleasure. Conservative and egoistic consumers were significantly less likely to consume seaweed food products.

The results suggest that public policy officers and marketers promote seaweed food products by emphasizing biospheric values for innovative (younger) consumers, as well as seaweed’s good taste and nutritional/health qualities.

This study identifies and examines the profiles and characteristics of seaweed consumers based on their values and self-identity. Through this research, the authors have discovered how environmental values and self-identity can effectively group consumers into homogeneous segments. Moreover, the authors have identified a specific consumer group in the UK that is more likely to consume seaweed food products.

Poor post-harvest handling practices by seaweed farmers are a key issue in seaweed value chains, contributing to low-quality seaweed being supplied to processors. To address this, a range of advanced drying technologies and methods have been developed, yet uptake by farmers remains low. This study examines factors affecting drying technology uptake by seaweed farmers to identify opportunities to incentivise improved drying practices.

This study draws on a quantitative survey of 273 seaweed farmers in two villages in South Sulawesi, 16 months of ethnographic fieldwork and 166 semi-structured interviews.

Farmers engage in limited adoption of improved drying technologies and practices as they don't receive higher prices for higher quality products, instead aiming to meet only the minimum acceptable standards to avoid a price discount or rejection of their product. Technologies and techniques that have been adopted are often used in ways that differ from their original purpose, such as to reduce drying times and labour input, rather than to produce products of low moisture and dirt contents. Similarly, local traders mix high- and low-quality seaweed in order to supply warehouses with seaweed which on average meets minimum quality standards.

This study reveals that improved drying practices are unlikely to be adopted unless incentivised by more targeted price-grade differentials.

Seaweeds are gaining broader interest in Western societies through their use in product development and the health-food industry. High nutritional value, low carbon footprint and sustainability are key drivers for seaweed uptake in Europe; yet high iodine intake from seaweed remains a concern. This study seeks to identify seaweed food products available on the UK retail market between 2018 and 2021 and assess their safety in the context of iodine exposure.

Here, a market survey (n = 37–40 retailers) was conducted in three annual waves to evaluate seaweed food product availability in the UK. The iodine dose of products was estimated based on a comprehensive literature review of seaweed iodine content.

This study shows a young, dynamic market with 2.3-fold increase in seaweed food product availability since the last available published data (2015). Specific iodine content labelling remains uncommon, and median iodine doses in a single serving of food exceeded 400 µg in all years. Some products, especially seaweed supplements, provide iodine doses above the tolerable upper limit and upper level of tolerance.

This study presents the most contemporary and comprehensive overview of the market for seaweed food products in the UK. With increasing popularisation of seaweed as a food, this study highlights the need for improved dialogue amongst producers, retailers, legislators and public health specialists to address the risk of iodine excess, and the concurrent scope for processing methods to reduce the iodine content in seaweeds.

This study aims to investigate the effects of incorporating seaweed composite flour on soft roll dough rheological characteristics and quality.

In this study, wheat flour was substituted with seaweed powder obtained from red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) at varying proportions (100:0; 99:1; 98:2; 97:3; 96:4; 95:5, 94:6, 93:7 and 92:8) and applied in soft roll production. The effects of seaweed composite flour were evaluated in terms of rheological characteristics, proximate composition and physical properties. The sensory characteristics of the soft rolls was evaluated by 40 untrained panellists by using a hedonic scale.

Farinograph analysis of the soft roll doughs showed that the incorporation of seaweed powder promoted an increase in water absorption, development time and mixing tolerance index, whereas it decreased stability time. Analysis of the proximate composition of the soft rolls showed that protein and carbohydrate contents decreased, but moisture, ash and crude fibre contents substantially increased. Dietary fibre increased with the increase in the proportion of seaweed powder added. The specific volume, bulk density and firmness of the soft rolls ranged from 3.01 to 5.48 cm³/g, 0.18 to 0.33 g/cm³ and 1.86 to 20.63 N, respectively. Sensory evaluation results showed that the mean score of sensory attributes decreased as the proportion of seaweed powder added was increased in the formulations. With regard to the overall acceptability, the panellists preferred the soft rolls with the least amount of seaweed powder added. The results of hedonic tests revealed that the panellists' acceptance decreased as higher amounts seaweed powder were added in the formulations.

This study showed that the seaweed powder of K. alvarezii can be utilised as an ingredient to improve the nutrient composition of baked products.

Saroma Lake is the largest lagoon in Japan, situated at latitude 44°05′07″ and 44°11′58″ north and longitude 143°40′06″ and 143°58′14″ east (Fig. 3.1). It is located in the northeast of Hokkaido along the Okhotsk sea. The size and circumference of the lake area is around 151km² and 91km, respectively. The pear-shaped lagoon is around 25.7km long and around 9.5km wide. The lake has semiclosed estuaries with sea mouths between Okhotsk sea and lake. In the lake, two artificial sea mouths have been excavated, where the water exchange can be maintained. These are around 300 and 50m wide. Approximately 90 percent of the total inflow from the sea to the lake passes through the former mouth, which was opened in 1927. The salinity level in Saroma Lake is almost similar to that of the Okhotsk sea due to the active tidal water exchange through the two mouths. An average water depth in Saroma Lake is 14m, approximately 18m deep at the deepest point. The lake receives fresh water from 13 rivers, particularly two principal streams (i.e., River Saromabetsu and Baro), where a large quantity of freshwater and subsequent sediments and nutrients are supplied into the lake.

The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the contribution made by migrants in the territory that hosts them, particularly when they transfer their knowledge to members of the community. In the specific case of the sea urchin fishery, it is described how the Morishita family in Baja California undertakes the sea urchin value chain, from the location of population banks to the commercialization of the product in the Japanese market and, by therefore, the promotion of development in rural places while starting a culture of export and currency generation. An adventure of opportunities that has been successful for more than 50 years, whose origin is the sustainable use of “a plague” that today is a delicacy for many.

Argues that the serious environmental degradation occurring in two “low island” Pacific states, Kiribati and Tuvalu, can be directly attributed to the lack of allocation of rights of access to, or the lack of exclusion of non rights‐holders from, common property resources. A recommendation, resulting from research in the countries concerned, is that the governments must enforce their rights over lands and underground water, if these resources are to continue to provide benefits to the community and if disease incidence in the population (an outcome of open access to public resources) is to be reduced. For the management of inshore fisheries resources, it is suggested that rights of Island Councils are confirmed and reinforced by central government. In the case of the nations’ ocean resources, co‐operation between Pacific island states is required to manage access and exploitation by foreign vessels.

Medical textiles is a vibrant emerging field in the area of technical textiles and its category is based on its performance and biofunctional properties for hygienic and health care products. Biodegradable fabrics are widely used for medical textiles in recent years. Seaweeds provide a wide range of therapeutic possibilities for human beings both internally and externally due to the presence of bioactive compounds. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This present study investigates the development of bioactive gauze fabric from Chaetomorpha linum seaweed/cotton blended fibres and also analysed the characteristics of Chaetomorpha linum seaweed/cotton blended gauze fabric and 100 per cent cotton gauze fabric. The effect of fibres on physical properties of fabric such as tensile strength, air permeability, wickability, water drop test and colour fastness properties were analysed. The antibacterial properties and antioxidant activity were assessed by DPPH radical scavenging, AATCC 100 and EN ISO 20645 test methods.

The experimental results indicate that the maximum antioxidant activity of 103.28±1.23 per cent inhibition was achieved at minimum concentration (500 µg/ml) of the blended fabric extract, and maximum antibacterial reduction of 95 per cent and zone of inhibition of about 26 mm were achieved in a blended fabric. The tensile strength, percentage of elongation and air permeability were more or less the same in both gauze fabrics. It is also found that Chaetomorpha linum seaweed/cotton blended gauze fabric exhibit better wickability and water absorbency properties than 100 per cent cotton gauze fabric. The colour fastness properties to washing and rubbing showed excellent results in the blended gauze fabric, and it is used for making wound dressing materials.

This bioactive gauze fabric was used for non-implantable materials such as wound healing, face mask, surgical gowns and hygienic textiles in recent years.

A flexible decision technology called the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) is applied to a generic aquaculture conflict to illustrate how GMCR can be used to systematically investigate a wide range of conflicts arising in aquaculture in order to obtain meaningful strategic insights and thereby assist in making informed decisions in aquaculture development. To emphasize the importance of being able to resolve aquaculture controversies, a review of the global economic impacts of the aquaculture industry is provided and the key stakeholders who may be involved in aquaculture disputes along with their legitimate interests are identified. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The GMCR methodology comprises two main stages: modeling and analysis. During the modeling stage, key decision makers (DMs), the options under each DM’s control and each DM’s relative preferences over feasible states are identified based on a thorough background investigation to a given dispute. Within the analysis stage, solution concepts that describe key characteristics of human behavior under conflict are utilized to determine resolutions that could occur when DMs interact under pure competition and cooperatively. Interpretation of the equilibrium results provides meaningful strategic insights for better understanding which strategies a given DM could select as the conflict evolves over time.

The results demonstrate how difficult it can be to balance the interests of different key stakeholders in aquaculture development. In all possible resolutions identified in the generic aquaculture conflict, at least two DMs among First Nations, environmental group and residents (Res) would object to the expansion of aquaculture activities due to the assumption that the government would choose to appease one stakeholder at a time. They also reflect the need for a useful tool box of decision technologies for addressing the vast range of challenges that could arise in the important area of marine economics and management.

The GMCR methodology possesses several unique and key original capabilities in comparison to other conflict analysis models. First, it only requires limited information to calibrate a conflict model. Second, it contains a number of solution concepts that describe how a DM could think and behave under conflict. Third, it furnishes a range of informative output, follow-up analyses and advice for use in real-life decision support. Finally, all of the foregoing advantages of GMCR can be contained within decision support systems that permit practitioners and researchers to readily apply the GMCR methodology to real-life conflicts.