Marine Affairs Capstone
This course was taken to fulfill the capstone requirement for my major. I was able to choose a specific topic to focus my research on and create a 14 page paper as well as a presentation. I really enjoyed the ability to choose a marine related topic and answer questions of what policy issues and marine management strategies connect to that topic. I chose to focus my capstone project on the sustainability practices of the seaweed aquaculture industry in the world. Having interned at a company where I worked with packaging seaweed products I wanted to learn more about the industry and the widespread popularity it has. I researched harvesting and cultivation practices of two regions and made a comparison on how they are being sustainable. I chose the Republic of Korea, a very established and leading producer of seaweed, and Maine, a new and emerging place for this industry to find success in. This paper allowed me to see that not only can Maine learn how to become as successful as Korea, but they both can learn from each other on creating best management practices that will allow for this industry to grow but in the correct way.
