Environmental Restoration: Local and Regional Blue Tech Measures

Featured Speaker: Thomas Grimm

Protecting and restoring ocean and fresh waters can be accomplished via multiple routes. Raising and harvesting shellfish such as Pacific Oysters and Mediterranean Blue Mussels not only provides a tasty and valuable food source but is also an excellent means of deacidifying and purifying the sea water. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of salt water each day. Aquaponic techniques have been used to raise culinary seaweeds symbiotically alongside living fish that provide liquified fertilizer (poop). Blue tech methods can capture meaningful amounts of CO2 to feed algae that, in turn, generate alternative sources of poultry feed. Red algae varieties can be added to cattle feed to reduce methane emissions. The list goes on…. The San Diego region is host to an abundance of biotech companies and universities, fertile sources for research and technology advances to bring these efforts to fruition.

Presenter Biography

Thomas Grimm received his triplemajor bachelor’s degree (German, Biology, and Chemistry) from the University of Minnesota. He began as a naturalist for the Three Rivers Park District, guiding canoe and Nordic ski treks into the wilderness regions of Minnesota and Canada. He has been the CEO and President of the Carlsbad Aquafarm for the past 10 years and of Phycovax, LLC, for the past six years.

Coordinator: Steven Rose