The prospect of seaweed "farms" off the west coast of Ireland has been brought closer with the successful completion of growth trials on an edible brown seaweed species, Alaria esculenta.
The systematic cultivation of seaweed, rather than just harvesting it where it grows naturally, is new to Ireland but marine scientists say the climate is ideal for such activity.
Alaria esculenta is native to Ireland but its taste is similar to the Asian seaweed "wakame", so it is known as Atlantic wakame.
It grows at the extreme low level of exposed shores and thus is difficult to harvest in its natural habitat.
However, it could be ideal for growing under cultivated conditions. Scientists at NUI Galway have been working to identify its life-cycle and the hybrid strains that will grow best under such conditions.
This is one of a number of seaweed research projects being co-ordinated by the Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation (ISIO), which is based at NUIG and represents the 17 Irish companies already engaged in harvesting and developing seaweed products and applications.
Ms Lorna Kelly, of the ISIO, stresses that the work being done is not genetic engineering, but aims simply to identify strains of the species that grow best and are resistant to various external factors.
The Alaria, she points out, is very similar in taste to the Asian wakame, of which over seven million tonnes are cultivated annually in China. Apart from human consumption, much of this production is used as food for farmed shellfish, such as abalone and sea urchins.
To break into this huge market Irish processors would need a consistent supply, and cultivation - probably on offshore lines or ropes similar to the system used for farming mussels - may provide this.
Preliminary trials have yielded good results, and the relatively clear and pristine west-coast water ensures a high quality, making the Irish product potentially more competitive. Production costs, including maintenance and manual input, are low, and the Alaria could provide the basis for a number of new small industries in places such as Co Clare and the Aran Islands, Ms Kelly points out.
This sea vegetable can be processed into a rich protein supplement for fish food and can also be converted into a human food flavour enhancer - an alternative to monosodium glutamate. Extracts can also be used in biochemical and pharmaceutical applications.
The 17 companies already active in the seaweed industry are engaged in a wide range of activities, from manufacturing alginates to processing sea vegetables, operating seaweed baths, and making body-care, agricultural and horticultural products. The annual sales revenue they generate is approaching £6 million.