A research team from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, is developing climate-resilient seaweed strains in Semporna, Sabah under the GCBC-funded GlobalSeaweed SUPERSTAR project.
Eucheumatoids – a group of red seaweed species – account for over 90% of global production of carrageenan, a product widely used as a gelling, binding and thickening agent in various industries including food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Euchematoid output has declined in recent years due to the low genetic diversity of aging cultivars. This challenge is further intensified by climate change, which has led to a rise in pests and diseases.
The research aims to address this issue by developing new strains resistant to climate change, pests, and diseases. Wild eucheumatoids were collected from the Semporna waters (Sabah Province, north-east Borneo), under permission granted by the Sabah Biodiversity Centre. Specimens were hand-picked during snorkeling, selecting only large, healthy individuals.
As the size and morphology of the wild-collected eucheumatoids were smaller and less bushy compared to the commercial ones, the longline cultivation method, commonly used in commercial seaweed farming was not suitable for their on-growing. An innovative new net system therefore had to be developed as an alternative to the longline.
The new system was found to work most effectively based on a two-stage approach. Firstly, the newly collected eucheumatoids were on-grown in basket nets with a relatively small mesh size to prevent grazing by herbivorous fish and turtles. This was then followed after 40 days by a larger cage net system, which allowed greater water circulation, around the eucheumatoids once they had grown in size, but again deterred the grazers.
Transferring seedlings from basket net to cage net system (Pic: Nurulafifah Yahya)
The new two-stage netting system has successfully enabled not only the survival of wild-collected eucheumatoids, but their increase in size compared with the longline method. The growth rate of the wild-collected eucheumatoids is also comparable to commercially cultivated species, reaching a rate of 3.03 % day-1 when cultivated in the cage net over the typical 45-day cultivation period.
One downside of the system is that it does require frequent cleaning and maintenance, due to the netting becoming covered with biofouling which reduces the water flow. On the plus side, however, this new cultivation system has been so successful that the research team have now donated over 150 kg of wild-collected eucheumatoid seedlings to a local seaweed company for them to on-grow at their farm.
The farmers are also extremely interested in the larger cage design and the research team are working closely with the local stakeholders to further expand this innovative research in Malaysia.
The GCBC community is growing: Reflections from the 2025 GCBC Research Symposium
Published 24 Mar 2025
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By Samantha Morris
In March, the GCBC community came together in person and online to share big ideas, transformative practice, and stories of impact at the 2025 Research Symposium.
Support for research tackling the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty is essential. The GCBC is a programme that does this and more, bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world to unlock the potential of nature to deliver climate solutions and improve livelihoods.
Each year the GCBC hosts a research symposium to share big ideas, transformative practice, and stories of impact. This year the research symposuim was bigger than ever with a full three-day programme, including the first ever GCBC Open Day on Tuesday 4 March.
This year’s symposium was a fully hybrid event, with online attendance supported throughout as part of the GCBC’s commitment to reduce barriers to global engagement within and beyond our growing community
Prof. Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The GCBC Research Symposium Open Day shone a spotlight on results from across the programme highlighting important cross cutting issues for the programme including innovative research practice, working with the private sector, and connecting research and policy.
After a warm welcome from Kew’s Professor Monique Simmonds, OBE and Deputy Director of Science – Partnerships, the day officially began with opening addresses from Professor Alexandre Antonelli (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), Professor Gideon Henderson (Defra) and Kate Hargreaves (DAI) who all shared their reflections on why research at the intersection of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty alleviation is so critical right now.
Professor Tim Wheeler, Deputy Director of International Science at Defra, spoke next hosting the first panel of the day: Contributing to global goals, the science behind frameworks and targets. Joining him were Dr Constanza Gonzalez Parrao (3IE), Dr Aster Gebrekirstos Afwork (CIFOR-ICRAF), Wendy Toro (CIASE), and Rithiny Teng (WCS Cambodia).
The second panel of the day was hosted by research uptake expert Louise Shaxson, and tackled the important issue of influencing policy and decision makers with research evidence. Louise was joined by a panel of five GCBC research project representatives both in person and online: Professor Elizabeth Cottier-Cook (SAMS), Dr Euridice Honorio (RBG Kew), James Mutunga Joshua (Nature Kenya), Fiona Nunan (University of Birmingham), and Damian Sulumo (MVIWAARUSHA). Louise and the panellists drilled down into a variety of new ideas and creative approaches to using research evidence to influence policy and practice.
The final panel of the day took on the challenge of how to harness private sector investment for nature based solutions. Panel chair George Whalley was joined in person and online by six panellists from a variety of sectors and backgrounds to tackle the question: what are the practical steps to harnessing private sector investment, and how do we get money flowing into biodiversity projects? The panellists were: Susan Forester (FSD Africa), Alicia Gibson (Finance Earth), Drea Burbank (Savimbo), James Naughton (DAI), Julia Martin-Ortega (University of Leeds), and Scobie Mackay (Imperative).
On the remaining two days, the symposium programme focused on connection and collaboration within the current group of funded GCBC research projects. With over fifty representatives at Kew in person and more joining the programme online it was a productive and busy couple of days covering early results, best practice approaches and innovative methods.
Breakout session at the GCBC Research Symposium
Overall, the 2025 Symposium was a collaborative and inspiring event. An opportunity to deepen existing connections within the GCBC research community and to build new links with a wider network of partners and organisations committed to working at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty alleviation.
Thank you so much to all members of our GCBC research community who joined us in person and online for the symposium, and to our wonderful speakers, panelists, and chairs for your insights, expertise, and for generously giving your time to be with us.
All funded projects are listed on the GCBC website here.
By Shaun Beattie, Early Career Researcher, GlobalSeaweed SUPERSTAR
Indonesia is the world’s second-largest seaweed producer, and for more than 267,000 farming households, it’s more than just an industry – it’s a way of life. Nowhere is this more evident than in South Sulawesi, Indonesia’s largest seaweed-producing area, where vast coastal communities depend on seaweed farming for their livelihoods.
With low cultivation costs, short production cycles and minimal labour requirements, red seaweeds such as Kappapycus spp. and Eucheuma spp. have become extremely popular exports in the region. As global demand for seaweed-derived ingredients, such as carrageenan and agar continue to grow, Indonesian seaweed exports are set to rise. However, sustainable and lasting seaweed cultivation depends on healthy marine ecosystems and biodiversity-rich habitats, including those created by seaweeds themselves. Balancing conservation efforts with the industry’s rapid expansion presents a growing challenge, as this push for greater seaweed production risks putting pressure on these vital environments.
Recently, I – along with Cicilia Kambey (University of Malaya) – have been in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as part of the GCBC funded Global SeaweedSUPERSTAR project. Our goal? To explore local perspectives on the ecological and community value of seaweeds and uncover the key barriers impacting its sustainable management.
Insights and Generous Hospitality
Our goal was ambitious: to speak with and interview 100 local stakeholders, including seaweed farmers, manufacturers, aquaculture organizations, industry professionals, government officials, academic institutions, and NGOs.
As a result, these three weeks absolutely flew by as we met a number of great people, sharing conversations and insights on the current state and future of Indonesia’s seaweed industry.
What really stood out was the overwhelming support we received. Everyone we met was eager to contribute, generously sharing their time and thoughts. We were welcomed with incredible kindness, along with a nice cup of tea or coffee, as we discussed the aims of our research. On occasion, we were even treated to some incredible seaweed-based snacks and beauty products from fantastic independent business owners!
The seaweed farming communities were also eager to share their knowledge and showcase their daily routines. As we toured their farms, we often arrived to find groups of (mostly) women carefully tying individual seaweed seedlings to long lines before transporting them out to sea for cultivation. It was fascinating to see just how fast they could tie each seedling to the line at perfect intervals.
Economic Stability vs the Call for Conservation
It quickly became clear that many farmers understood the important ecological role that seaweeds played in marine ecosystems. They frequently mentioned how seaweed supports local fish stocks and acts as a nursery for juvenile fish. However, this awareness was often followed by a candid admission: that the protection of natural seaweed stocks was largely overlooked because they held little to no economic value. With the price of seaweeds fluctuating significantly in recent years, farmers were predominantly focused on securing sustainable incomes from cultivated seaweed. As a result, the protection of cultivated seaweeds was considered important, but the conservation for natural seaweed stocks was often an afterthought.
The mood for economic assurance was echoed by many of the other stakeholders we spoke with. Local NGO groups and government officials in the Department of Fisheries strongly emphasised the need for international investment to support the expansion and sustainable management of the seaweed industry. Without incentives or clear guidance, it was feared conservation would remain a lower priority for many in the industry.
Shifting Attitudes
So how can seaweed protection be implemented whilst also ensuring the needs of local communities are met?
Despite their lack of immediate ‘economic value’, corals and seagrass conservation efforts have gained significant traction in recent years. Coastal communities have become champions of their restoration and protection, largely because they now better understand healthier ecosystems benefit their livelihoods, particularly in relation to fish farming. A similar shift in attitudes could occur for seaweeds through targeted educational awareness and capacity building programmes. Many community members we spoke to were open to conservation efforts, provided they could see tangible benefits to their own lives.
One promising approach would be preliminary financing for sustainable cultivation that nudges farmers away from overharvesting practices, whilst promoting long-term sustainability. If farmers could see the economic and environmental advantages of protecting both cultivated and natural seaweed stocks, attitudes and practices may begin to shift.
Looking Ahead
These are just a few of the early observations from our time in Makassar, but one thing was clear: the immense passion and energy people have for seaweeds in South Sulawesi. I look forward to diving deeper into the responses and perspectives gathered from our interviews.
I will be presenting the results of this research at the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) conference in Nice, France in June 2025. I hope to discuss how these local views and practices align or contrast with global priorities in seaweed conservation, and aim to provide actional insights for advancing the sustainable management of seaweeds, that both safeguard marine biodiversity and local livelihoods.
On a final note, this research trip has reaffirmed a crucial point: harmony between conservation and economic stability remains necessary for a sustainable and successful seaweed farming industry and with the right strategies in place, this balance can start to be achieved.
by Claudine Domingue, Communications & Engagement Manager, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
GCBC Phase 1 and RGC1 projects meet for knowledge sharing, learning and networking
Underpinning GCBC’s mandate to unlock the potential of nature to deliver resilience to climate change and improve livelihoods is the need for funded projects to explore scalable solutions and develop trans-disciplinary partnerships within the programme.
In its role as Strategic Science Lead for GCBC, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG Kew) organized an all-day Research Symposium of talks and presentations to encourage collaboration between projects, hosting project leads from both established and newly funded projects. Representatives from the 14 projects who were funded as part of Phase 1 of the GCBC programme (2022 – 2024), as well as 13 projects announced as the recipients of the Research Grant Call1 (RGC1) funding in January 2024 were invited to attend.
The Research Symposium on 21 March 2024, also included staff from GCBC’s funding body – the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and Fund Management Lead DAI Global. With so many projects spread across the globe, we were fortunate to welcome many project representatives in person and several more were able to join online.
We were gifted with a beautiful spring day in which to congregate in Kew Garden’s historic Cambridge Cottage.
After a warm welcome from Kew’s Dr Monique Simmonds, OBE and Deputy Director of Science – Partnerships, the day officially began with insightful opening remarks from Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser at Defra.
Monique Simmonds with Gideon Henderson who reminded us all how urgently these programmes are needed and their potential benefits to us all.l to r: Frida, Jessica, Constanza with Tim Wheeler.
Prof Tim Wheeler, newly appointed Deputy Director of International Science at Defra, spoke next and hosted the first panel of the day focussing on three of the seven projects awarded grant funding as part of Phase 1. These projects are identifying evidence gaps, new metrics, and policy options; with their outputs helping to shape GCBC’s priorities and guide future research and investments.
Continuing with Phase 1 projects, the second panel of the morning was chaired by Dr Elizabeth Warham, Head of GCBC for Kew. These projects had focussed on research outcomes and impact for farmers and communities.
l to r: Richard, on stage with Elizabeth Warham, and Yves discuss the Bio+Mine project.l to r: Richard, on stage with Elizabeth Warham, and Yves discuss the Bio+Mine project.Carolina presents her project.
Helen is the Policy lead for Sexual Exploitation Abuse & Harassment (SEAH) Safeguarding for Defra ODA programmes.
Before our lunch break, Helen Poulsen, the Senior Social Development Adviser in Defra’s ODA Hub, gave us a thought-provoking presentation on the importance of considering gender equality and social inclusion as the GCBC grantees develop their projects.
After lunch – and for many, a stroll through Kew’s gardens – we returned for an afternoon of 5-minute flash talks by our newest grantees, facilitated by Samantha Morris, GCBC Project Manager for Kew. Ten of the 13 RGC1 projects attended both in-person and online giving us an informative overview of their upcoming work.
l to r: Bettina, Aster and Samantha listen to Mark Grindley’s talk online.
l to r: Ryan Goldrick and Thomas Shaw (Defra), Subira Bjørnsen (Cadmus), Edward Gould (Defra).
Defra’s Jamie Carr, Bettina, and Aster – who travelled from Peru and Ethiopia for the symposium – chat during a break.
As Strategic Science Lead for GCBC, one of Kew’s goals is to encourage and nurture collaboration and learning within project groups and between research projects, and, by every measure, the research symposium achieved that result.
Our thanks to all the symposium participants and our Defra and DAI partners who attended.
All funded projects are listed here on the GCBC website: Projects – GCBC
* The GCBC is funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) with International Climate Finance and managed in partnership with DAI as Fund Management Lead. The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is the Strategic Science Lead.
GlobalSeaweed – Supporting livelihoods by Protecting, Enhancing and Restoring biodiversity by Securing the future of the seaweed Aquaculture industry in developing countries (SUPERSTAR)
Delivery partner: SAMS, NHM, University of Malaya, and others
Project summary: Directly address the acute problem of lack of protection and overharvesting of wild seaweeds. The operationally and policy-relevant project outputs will be used by the seaweed industry, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and local, regional and global policymakers, with the aim of ensuring increased protection, enhanced climate resilience and the sustainable management of wild and cultivated stocks and their associated habitats. This will increase biodiversity, protect livelihoods and safeguard the future of this vital industry in seaweed-producing, developing countries in south-east Asia and globally.
Project summary: This project has been proposed by indigenous women from an intersectional approach, this proposal aims to enhance the living conditions of the Pastos indigenous people residing in the Gran Tescual Reservation. This objective will be achieved through a comprehensive approach that involves researching biodiversity conservation and integrating indigenous knowledge to preserve their biocultural heritage. Additionally, the project will advocate for climate action, considering ethnic and gender considerations at the local, regional, and continental levels. To accomplish this, the project will focus on empowering the community by strengthening their ancestral knowledge, fostering inclusivity, and driving substantial changes in climate change policies. Ultimately, the overarching goal is to safeguard ecosystems, elevate the well-being of indigenous communities, and make a positive impact on biodiversity conservation, poverty alleviation, and the resilience of natural systems.
Project summary: This project aims to strengthen the resilience of Andean agriculture by leveraging traditional potato and mashua varieties and genebank resources. Through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, climate adaptation will be promoted and food security improved. Applied methods will involve participatory evaluations, nutritional analyses, market appraisals, genotyping and restoration of lost biodiversity. Transformational change will be achieved through the integration of research, knowledge sharing, innovations, and enhanced market access. The project will employ a comprehensive communication strategy to share key findings and foster policy engagement. It will also create lasting benefits by endorsing diversity conservation, catalyzing transformational change, and applying advanced agricultural technologies.
Delivery partner: International Institute for Environment and Development
Project summary: Working closely with smallholder farmers in Indonesia, the Philippines and Tanzania, the project will tackle agrobiodiversity loss, which reduces livelihood options and climate resilience. Using the latest research co-production methodologies, it will improve evidence on how to upscale inclusive, resilient, agrobiodiverse production systems globally. It will build locally-based, internationally-linked research networks that enhance continuous long-term learning and capacity support around best practices with smallholder producers, fostering multidisciplinary partnerships that effectively advocate for better policies, leverage public and private investments, and drive transformation in how we produce food, fuel, fibre and medicines that are good for nature, climate and livelihoods.
Project summary: This project aims to inform site management and protection strategies for Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Ecuador by generating robust knowledge on the ecosystem services delivered by these sites and their beneficiaries, as well as their exposure and resilience under climate change. This new evidence of the impacts on livelihoods of climate change and different management or protection options, and the resulting recommendations, will directly support more effective implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework ‘30×30 target’, and lead to better-informed decision-making for nature and people
Delivery partner: International Centre for Research in Agroforestry
Project summary: The project will generate evidence on how highland systems in Ethiopia could be improved for a more biodiverse future that supports improved livelihoods and poverty reduction. By comparing traditional and modern agroforestry systems in four regions of Ethiopia, the project will implement a suite of knowledge-based multifunctional agroforestry systems on homesteads, farmland areas, and model rural resource centres to promote uptake of multifunctional agroforestry. The project will generate scalable tools, approaches, knowledge products and capacity building for thousands of highland farmers. It will also develop a strategy, partnerships and infrastructure to lay the foundation for further land restoration, biodiversity protection, poverty alleviation, and improved ecosystem resilience.
