{"id":889,"date":"2025-10-28T19:20:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=889"},"modified":"2025-10-29T19:21:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T19:21:30","slug":"field-notes-algae-science-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=889","title":{"rendered":"Field Notes: Maine Algae Science Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Kerry Dykens<\/strong>, Macroalgae Curator, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Last week, Bigelow Laboratory<\/strong> hosted the inaugural Maine Algae Science Day<\/strong> in the gorgeous waterfront building of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)<\/strong> in Portland, a familiar place for me after attending Seaweed Saturday<\/strong> back in April. It\u2019s inspiring to see Bigelow Laboratory\u2019s, GMRI\u2019s, and our partners\u2019 continued dedication to fostering an algae-focused community and exploring algae-based solutions that benefit both people and the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kerry Dykens,<\/strong> macroalgae curator at Bigelow Laboratory, attends Algae Science Day at GMRI<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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As a macroalgae curator at the National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota<\/a><\/strong>, I spend my days caring for thousands of macroalgae strains in the lab, ensuring their health and longevity for research and innovation. Working with algae like kelp, Gracilaria<\/em>, and Ulva<\/em>, I see their potential everyday, but it\u2019s events like Algae Science Day that make that potential feel tangible. Seeing algae move from culture tanks to real-world applications is exactly the kind of transformation I hope to witness more of here in Maine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I helped welcome guests and quickly recognized several faces from the algae world. It struck me how tight-knit and collaborative this community truly is with scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators who all seem to share the same excitement for algae\u2019s growing role in our future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What set Algae Science Day apart was its focus on bridging science with action. The day\u2019s panels were thoughtfully arranged to trace that full journey from discovery to application to investment.<\/p>\n\n\n