About Us
Seaweed Cultivation Center (SCC) operates the largest seaweed nursery in New England and has supplied the seedstock responsible for more than 90% of all seaweed landed in Maine during the past several years. SCC is a permitted, biosecure cultivation facility designed to support commercial seaweed production, germplasm development, and applied aquaculture research. The facility can operate up to eighteen independent recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), each capable of precise environmental control. Individual systems allow independent regulation of water temperature, nutrient availability, photoperiod, light intensity, dissolved oxygen, and pH, enabling rigorous evaluation of environmental and genetic effects on seaweed growth and composition. All incoming seawater is filtered to the sub-micron level and treated with ultraviolet sterilization to ensure biosecurity and minimize contamination risks.
SCC also maintains four low-temperature incubation systems equipped with independently controlled red, blue, and white light illumination. These incubators support long-term maintenance of vegetative germplasm, controlled induction of gametogenesis, and precise manipulation of growth and developmental rates. Together, these capabilities provide a robust platform for strain development, selective breeding, and genotype evaluation.
SCC further strengthens its capabilities through active partnerships with numerous academic and scientific institutions throughout the Northeast and beyond. These partnerships provide access to world-class scientific infrastructure and analytical expertise that enhance SCC’s capacity to conduct advanced seaweed breeding and applied aquaculture research.
Our Team
Thew Suskiewicz Ph.D.
Executive Director
thew@seaweedcultivationcenter.com
Dr. Thew Suskiewicz serves as Executive Director of the Seaweed Cultivation Center and has worked in aquaculture for more than two decades. His industry experience includes commercial abalone farming and seaweed aquaculture, providing him with a unique perspective on both biological and operational aspects of aquatic food production systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Oceanography from Universite Laval (Quebec, Canada) and his M.S. from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Throughout his career, Dr. Suskiewicz has cultivated more than a dozen species of kelp and seaweed and has served on graduate and undergraduate advisory committees across multiple institutions. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center. His research interests include marine ecology, sustainable aquaculture, and phycology, and his role at SCC sits at the intersection of these disciplines, applying scientific research to solve practical challenges facing the seaweed aquaculture industry.
Liz MacDonald
Operations Director
liz@seaweedcultivationcenter.com
As the Operations Director, Liz oversees supplier relations with sea farmers, researchers, processors, logistics partners, and working waterfront leaders, connecting individuals in the seaweed aquaculture supply chain from seed through finished product. Over the past six years she has handled the movement of over four million pounds of seaweed across North America. Liz has worked in the aquaculture sector for over a decade with firsthand experience cultivating commercial mussels, scallops, and kelp in the Gulf of Maine. She has worked on commercial vessels and in research and industry operations running seaweed nurseries, designing ocean farms and navigating the aquaculture permitting and regulatory process. Liz currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Maine Aquaculture Association. She has served on the SeaMaine steering committee and the Governor’s Blue Economy Task Force. Liz is part of a fishing family and believes Maine’s marine communities can bring significant positive impact to people, locally and globally.
Cara Blaine M.S.
Research Director
cara@seaweedcultivationcenter.com
Cara leads cultivation operations and germplasm development efforts at the SCC. Over the past two years, she has developed, maintained, and evaluated more than 60 single-clonal sugar kelp germplasms, generating extensive experience in kelp breeding, strain evaluation, nursery management, and controlled cultivation techniques. Her expertise is central to SCC’s efforts to develop improved seaweed cultivars for commercial aquaculture. Cara earned her M.S. from the University of New England, where she currently holds a Research Associate Faculty position. Her graduate research focused on developing an environmental DNA (eDNA) primer to detect a key herbivorous pest affecting Maine kelp farms. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Rhode Island. Cara also holds a B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design and spent many years building furniture and renovating spaces. She maintains an active studio art practice in her free time.