Sea Forest

About

Sea Forest cultivates Asparagopsis seaweed offshore on repurposed mussel farms, producing a bromoform-containing feed supplement—licensed from FutureFeed—tested with dairy and sheep producers to reduce enteric methane.

Mission

Sea Forest produces Asparagopsis seaweed offshore on repurposed mussel farms to create a feed supplement shown to cut cattle methane production. The company sub-licenses the intellectual property around the supplement from FutureFeed, which commercialized research by CSIRO, James Cook University and Meat & Livestock Australia. Sea Forest aims to use the A$1 million Accelerating Commercialisation grant from the Australian government to start supplying commercial quantities of its seaweed. Last July it signed an agreement with New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra to trial feed supplements for cows and sheep. The supplement’s active compound, bromoform, inhibits the enzyme in the cow digestive system that forms methane, and Sea Forest says incorporation into feed can also lower feed costs. The company emphasizes both emissions reduction (CSIRO has shown Asparagopsis can reduce methane by as much as 80%) and potential carbon drawdown benefits.

Quick Facts