After the wet weather we had at the end of the summer, I was impressed by the variety of mushrooms that have appeared: little puffballs, broad parasols and shaggy lion’s manes popped up around tree roots. Mushrooms may seem to have nothing to do with the ocean — except maybe the last one since there is also a jellyfish by the name of lion’s mane. In fact, the connection is more technical, in a sense. Often nature offers solutions to problems that we humans have a hard time solving. This is the case of growing mushrooms in the sea.
While you might think that only shellfish grow on ocean farms, a few of them are also growing mushrooms. They are growing them into buoys that could potentially replace the currently predominant plastic foam buoys that dot the ocean waters in a variety of colors when whole, but then can break down into smaller pieces that aren’t the healthiest for marine life. If you’ve ever walked along the Maine coast, you’ve undoubtedly found pieces of old buoys. These stick around for long periods of time and break up into smaller and smaller pieces that can be digested by ocean animals. Mushrooms offer a biodegradable solution. Ecovative is one company that is developing this technology. You can learn more on their website at ecovative.com. Mushrooms are naturally spongy and, if grown into a specific shape, can develop a concentration of its root-like structures, or mycelium, that is very dense and strong. This is the case for “myco-buoys,” which are currently being tested in the Gulf of Maine for use by a variety of ocean industries including on oyster farms. It’s a clever, nature-based solution to the increasing problem of plastics in the ocean.
There’s another innovative, nature-based product that aims to reduce plastic waste is being tested on oyster farms: biodegradable mesh bags. The bags used to harvest oysters are typically made of nylon, a form of plastic that is designed not to break down so that it is durable but, like foam buoys, degrades slowly into tiny micro plastic pieces that are harmful to marine life. Ocean Farms Supply is a Maine-based business that was launched by the owners of Maine Ocean Farms, a Freeport-based oyster farm. They have developed the “Ocean Harvest Bag,” a mesh bag made from a yarn spun from the cellulose fibers of sustainably harvested European beechwood. They’re using these in place of the traditional polypropylene harvest bags typically used in the industry. They’ve been selling bags to shellfish companies outside of Maine including those in Florida, California and even Mexico. They also make biodegradable produce bags that break down in a household compost pile.
Mushroom buoys and biodegradable mesh bags are just a sampling of the products currently being tested in Maine waters. The direct benefits are clear for those involved in fisheries and aquaculture, but these innovations are also important to those who like to consume Maine seafood and to those who appreciate the value of a healthy coastal ecosystem. While I have written many times about ways to be involved in clean-up efforts of items already in or around the water, it is exciting to look towards solutions that can address it at the source.
Susan Olcott is the director of operations at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
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