Through a partnership between commercial kelp farmers, UMaine would develop a comprehensive kelp pilot program at the Darling Marine Center focused on de-risking, optimization at scale, and cost reduction and a commercially relevant scale kelp farm in Penobscot Bay to trial innovative farm designs, develop automated seeding and harvest methods, and validate kelp growth assumptions across a wide range of husbandry methods.  Funding of $1 million is through FY24 Congressional Directed Spending secured by U.S. Sens. Collins and King at the request of UMS. Project grant requirements are being finalized. Selection of a design firm is anticipated to be completed in spring of this year.