Blue Economy CRC

15/10/2026

✨ 2026 Participants Workshop ~ Session Highlight: Seaweed at Scale: From Trials to Industry.

Featuring Lindsey White, AUT - Auckland University of Technology; Jeffrey Wright, IMAS/University of Tasmania and Tony Arioli Seasol.

Seaweed is one of the most promising opportunities in the blue economy, but growth depends on proving what works at scale. Using bull kelp (Durvillaea) as a lens, from King Island and Tasmania to Aotearoa New Zealand and Chile, this session draws on hatchery breakthroughs, cultivation trials and industry-led research with partners including Seasol. It examines what has been validated, where the gaps remain, and what evidence is needed for the next phase of offshore seaweed development.

Stay tuned as we announce more voices joining the conversation in the coming weeks!

15/10/2026

Our Blue Economy Zone is moving into its next research phase. Find out what’s proposed and have your say by 27 October: https://blueeconomycrc.com.au/blue-economy-zone/epbc-act/have-your-say/

13/10/2026

Our team including Susie Kropman and Jessica McInerney are joining Monique Hatfull from New Zealand King Salmon in Nelson, New Zealand for the 2026 Aquaculture New Zealand Conference from 14th - 15th October.

The conference provides a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen trans-Tasman connections and explore the innovations and collaborations shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture.

We look forward to connecting with colleagues across the sector and sharing insights from two days of discussion and collaboration!

07/10/2026

The 2026 Blue Economy CRC Participants Workshop is just 4 weeks away, and we have A LOT to talk about!

The research is delivering, new opportunities are emerging, and the question is increasingly not just what have we proven, but what can we do with it?

Across three days, we’ll get out into South Australia’s blue economy through industry and research tours, come together for events and networking, and hear from across our network about the work, ideas and opportunities taking shape. The preliminary agenda is out and tours are already filling.

If you haven’t registered yet, now’s the time!

https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01qswW0

01/10/2026

29/09/2026

Blue Economy CRC PhD Scholar Alessia Frattini recently had the pleasure of volunteering with Dr. Haley Viehman from Echoview as a Roving Scientist at the Beaker Street Festival in Nipaluna/Hobart.

Hosted by The Hope & Anchor, the event brought science to the public, including a special family session on Saturday where Alessia and Haley hosted an interactive activity “Seeing with Sound”, using an eski as a mini “tank” and a collection of small, funny objects as targets where visitors were challenged to use a sonar to guess what was hidden inside.

"As a PhD candidate working on the application of sonar technologies to salmon and seaweed aquaculture in Tasmania, it was particularly special to take something that is normally part of my research and turn it into a simple, hands-on experience that anyone could enjoy. I’m proud to have shared a little taste of what I do with the community and hopefully sparked some curiosity about how we can use sound to see what our eyes cannot."

24/09/2026

Welcome to our newest PhD Scholar, Abdallah Mohamed Alwy Al Beity.

Abdallah's research will explore how offshore wind and seaweed farming can work side-by-side in our oceans.

Supervised by Dr Damon Howe, UTAS, Abdallah will investigate how seaweed farms influence waves and currents, what this means for floating wind platforms and their moorings, and how these offshore industries could safely share infrastructure and ocean space.

His work addresses a key technical gap for multi-use offshore expansion and provides practical engineering guidance to support safe, efficient, and cost-effective co-location projects.

Read more about Abdallah's research at https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01p5kC0 and join us in welcoming him to the team!

23/09/2026

Australia’s ocean is one of our greatest assets, and the decisions we make now will shape how we use it for decades to come.

The Australian Government’s Sustainable Ocean Plan is out, adding an important piece to the national framework. We’re also pleased to see Seafood Industry Australia and the Blue Economy CRC’s jointly-led Futures of Seafood work reflected in the thinking behind it.

But a plan is only the beginning. At the Blue Economy CRC, we’re already doing the work, including $3 million earmarked for research into how seafood production, renewable energy and other ocean uses can sustainably share ocean space.

Good planning needs good evidence. It also needs industry at the table, bringing the experience, knowledge and ambition that will help shape what comes next.

That’s what we’re building.

Read the Sustainable Ocean Plan here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01nYyz0.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

22/09/2026

📣 Attention Blue Economy CRC PhD Scholars! 📣

The third Australian Ocean Renewable Energy Symposium (AORES) is a forum for industry, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to exchange ideas and discuss the development of Australia’s ocean renewable energy sector.

With topics spaningn wave, tidal, river and ocean currents, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), and hybrid systems, AORES provides a valuable networking opportunity for PhD students in ocean renewable energy to connect with fellow researchers, industry representatives, and the broader Australian ocean energy community.

The Blue Economy CRC is offering up to three PhD Scholars the opportunity to attend AORES 2026!

Applicants must submit an abstract to attend. Apply now! 👉 https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01nP7R0