Seaweed Research Group
Short description
The Seaweed Research Group at the University of Gothenburg is interested in how seaweeds interact with their environment, how they respond to natural and human-induced environmental changes, and how they can be used as renawable sources of biomass. Fundamental research focusses on genetic diversity, ecology, ecophysiology, microbiome interactions and chemical ecology. This overlaps with more applied research aimed to optimize seaweed cultivation for food, feed and other products.
The Seaweed Research Group
The Seaweed Research Group has a long tradition in seaweed ecology and in particular seaweed chemical ecology. The group has become the largest macroalgal research group in Sweden and research topics today also include ecophysiology, genetic diversity, microbiome interactions and aquaculture.
We study how seaweeds interact with their environment and how they respond to natural and human-induced environmental changes, particularly global changes. The fundamental research is closely linked to the applied work that provide a knowledge base for an economically and environmentally sustainable seaweed cultivation industry.
Rooted in experimental ecology, the group has a strong focus on manipulative experimental work in the lab and the field, both for the fundamental and the applied research.
People & Research interests
The Seaweed Research Group is located at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory with excellent facilities for experimental laboratory and field work. Tjärnö Laboratory has several constant-temperture rooms with running seawater, state-of-the-art equipment for ocean acidification experiments, outdoor tanks and a greenhouse for larger-scaled experiments.
Situated right by Kosterhavet National Park, Tjärnö Laboratory offers easy access to field sampling and experiments. Only 10 minutes by boat, the Seaweed Research Group is running a 2 hectares seaweed test farm where new cultivation techniques and species can be tested. Tjärnö Laboratory also has excellent facilities for chemical and molecular work.
