Ocean Rainforest Advances U.S. Seaweed Farming With Key California Coastal Commission Approval
Coastal Commission concurrence clears major regulatory hurdle for Ocean Rainforest’s 2,000-acre commercial-scale kelp farm
VENTURA, CA, September 9, 2026 - Ocean Rainforest announced today that the California Coastal Commission has unanimously approved the consistency certification for the company’s proposed commercial-scale offshore kelp cultivation project in the Santa Barbara Channel, clearing the final major regulatory hurdle needed to move forward with construction of the project.
The 2,000-acre project, located in federal waters approximately four miles offshore of Ventura County, will cultivate native giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) using a submerged cultivation system designed for open-ocean conditions. Following the Coastal Commission’s action, Ocean Rainforest now has a valid permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to deploy kelp cultivation infrastructure in structured phases.
Olavur Gregersen, CEO of Ocean Rainforest: “This approval is a major milestone for Ocean Rainforest and gives us the foundation to take offshore kelp cultivation in California from demonstration to commercial scale. But the permit alone is not enough. Our success will depend on building a viable value chain where cultivation grows alongside market demand for sustainable seaweed products that can contribute to a better life for people and the planet.”
From Demonstration to Commercial-Scale
The Ventura project builds on years of research and development by Ocean Rainforest, including an 86-acre demonstration farm operated offshore of Santa Barbara. The demonstration project was designed to test the feasibility of cultivating giant kelp in the open ocean and to generate data needed to inform the development of the larger commercial-scale operation.
The company’s work has also been supported through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) MARINER program, which has focused on advancing the technical and economic potential of large-scale marine biomass cultivation, led by Principal Investigator Javier Infante.
“The demonstration farm gave us invaluable real-world experience in cultivating giant kelp in an open-ocean environment. We learned not only how to improve the cultivation system itself, but also how to operate, monitor and maintain an offshore farm responsibly under real conditions. Those lessons have directly shaped the design for the Ventura project and give us a much stronger foundation for moving toward commercial-scale cultivation,” said Douglas Bush, Director of California Operations at Ocean Rainforest.
Building a Commercial Market for Cultivated Kelp
Developed to full scale, the Ventura project will have the capacity to produce approximately 6,000 wet tons of giant kelp annually. Harvested kelp will be landed at Ventura Harbor and used primarily for agricultural applications. The project is intended to support the diversification of the Ventura working waterfront while building a domestic supply chain for cultivated kelp. Ocean Rainforest has already launched seaweed biostimulants in the California agricultural market, with applications in local crops including strawberries, avocados and wine grapes.
A Commitment to Responsible Aquaculture
Ocean Rainforest developed the project through an extensive regulatory and stakeholder engagement process designed to identify and minimize potential interactions with existing ocean users and marine resources and create a comprehensive monitoring plan.
Kaira Wallace, Ocean Rainforest's Regulatory and Engagement Lead, said: “Building a commercial market for cultivated kelp also means demonstrating that seaweed farming can be developed responsibly alongside existing ocean uses. Throughout this process, we have worked closely with regulators, fishermen, researchers, and local stakeholders to listen, learn and improve the project. That engagement has directly influenced how the farm is designed, operated and monitored, and it will remain an important part of how we approach development going forward.”
Next Steps
The project is designed with a phased development approach. Market demand, commercial partnerships, operational readiness, and available capital will determine the timing and scale of construction. This approach will allow Ocean Rainforest to align investment in cultivation capacity with the development of downstream markets. Depending on the pace and scope of development, Ocean Rainforest may undertake a dedicated capital raise to support the build-out of the project.
Ocean Rainforest extends its sincere gratitude to the California Coastal Commission and staff for the careful review and concurrence, and to NOAA Office of Aquaculture, USACE, Ventura Port District and the many other federal, state, local, and research partners. Special thanks to the people of the global seaweed innovation community who have worked closely with Ocean Rainforest throughout this process. We are additionally grateful to everyone who submitted letters of support, sharing their expertise and perspectives, to help build a commercially viable, environmentally responsible seaweed industry in California with broad community support.
About Ocean Rainforest
Ocean Rainforest is a vertically integrated seaweed company developing, cultivating and commercializing sustainably produced seaweed and seaweed-based products. With operations in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, Santa Barbara, California, and Baja California, Mexico, in the Eastern Pacific, the company combines more than a decade of experience in open ocean seaweed cultivation with processing, research, product development and commercialization. The company’s purpose is to create a better life for people and the planet through the sustainable use of seaweed, cultivating close to the market brings us one step closer to realizing our mission.
Media contact:
Kaira Wallace, Regulatory and Engagement Lead ,
Phone +1 650 455-4558
E-mail kaira@oceanrainforest.com
Website: www.oceanrainforest.com