Could seaweed fuel airplanes and automobiles

Seaweed, or kelp, is one of the greatest biofuels because it doesn't compete for land with other resources and requires no fertilizer or freshwater. That's why scientists at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies have been studying how to optimize kelp's growth in the open ocean. Off the coast of their Catalina Island research facility, they recently tested a strategy developed by private-sector partner Marine BioEnergy to accelerate kelp's naturally fast growth rate, while producing four times more biomass than kelp growing in its native habitat. The key to their success was to vary the depth of the kelp, raising it to the ocean surface for sunlight, and lowering it at night to depths it wouldn't normally grow, to benefit from rich abundant nutrients. Ultimately, the scientists hope to demonstrate how large portions of the ocean could be utilized for kelp farming, significantly decreasing our dependence on harmful fossil fuels. Learn more about the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies