Lobsters have long been a staple of the Maine economy, worth roughly $388 million last year alone, but climate change is putting the catch at risk. Now lobstermen and women, along with local entrepreneurs, are turning to a new and potentially even more lucrative staple: Seaweed.
Aquaculture in general, and seaweed in particular, is an essential economic driver for the state of Maine. Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weeklyThe Gulf of Maine's waters are heating faster than nearly every other ocean in the world because of climate change. As a result, the survival rate of lobster eggs laid off the southern coast is dropping, moving the lobster catch north and leaving some lobstermen in a pinch.