DIVE IN! TO THE 7th ANNUAL
CALIFORNIA
SEAWEED FESTIVAL
October 24, 2026 | 9 AM – 5 PM
Old Custom House Plaza, Monterey
FREE FESTIVAL
Monterey, CA
🌊
October 24, 2026
🦦
Old Custom House Plaza
🐟
Monterey, CA 🌊 October 24, 2026 🦦 Old Custom House Plaza 🐟
IMPORTANT LINKS
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL
Monterey Bay is one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth. Its underwater forests of kelp and other seaweeds support an incredible web of life, from sea otters to abalone to the communities that steward this coast. This year’s festival invites everyone to Dive In.
Join researchers, innovators, chefs, and ocean advocates for a day of talks, demos, seaweed tastings, and hands-on exploration of the science, culture, and future of macroalgae.
At a moment when kelp forests along the Monterey Peninsula have dramatically declined, the festival is both a celebration of ocean biodiversity and an invitation to cultivate ocean abundance together.
Come curious. Leave inspired.
AT - A - GLANCE SCHEDULE
ALL DAY FUN
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ALL DAY FUN ✨
IN THE LOWER CUSTOM HOUSE PLAZA
The Mermaid is in her Grotto 10am-1pm, 2-4pm
Tell Your Seaweed Story - 11am - 4pm
Seaweed Touch Tank - All Day
Microscopes & touch tanks [booth 1] - All Day
Microscopes & Mock Kelp Forest Survey [booth 5] SpongeBob x Surfrider Coloring Sheets [booth 16]
IN THE STANTON CENTER ENTRY & ATRIUM
Poster Art Display/Meet the Poster Artist - 11-noon Seaweed Raw Tasting Bar - 11:30am - 2:30pm Seaweed Popcorn
Food Demos and Tastings - Through out the day
Take our survey and help shape the next festival Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Gyre Wearable Art Exhibit
Festival Merch - t-shirts, totes, posters, guides, stickers, tattoos, seaweed ID cards & more all purchases support the free festival
SEAWEED BINGO!
Get your Bingo Card at an Information Booth and collect all the stamps for a prize.
IN THE UPPER CUSTOM HOUSE PLAZA
Blue Robotics Gear Show (like Cars & Coffee for Robots)
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Seaweed Print, Pressed Seaweed Card, Coloring Seaweed Touch Tank
Kelp Forest Tumbling Towers Game
Blue Harmony Interactive Quiz [booth 69]
Seaweed Trivia Wheel & Crown Craft [booth 70]
Coding the Coast activity [booth 71]
Seaweed Themed Sponge Painting [booth 72]
Western Flyer Sailing the Seas & Pressed Seaweed bookmark [booth 73]
Kelp Quiz & Demo Transect Swim [booth 75]
Thanks to Our 2026 Sponsors & Partners
Sponsors
Partners and Support From
SCHEDULE
🧜♀️
2026🌿
SCHEDULE 🧜♀️ 2026🌿
OLD CUSTOM HOUSE PLAZA MONTEREY, CA OCT 24, 2026 | 9 AM — 5 PM
FESTIVAL THEME: DIVE IN!
9:30 - 10:25 || Scientific Poster Session Where: Gallery
"Indigenous Voices in Kelp Forest Stewardship - The Global Indigenous Kelp Forest Stewards Community” Presented by Makenna Rush, UCSC / Kelp Forest Alliance Co-Authors: Makena Rush, Alejandra Paola González Vásquez, Loyiso Dunga, Betsy Peabody, Daniel McNeill, Julianna Sullivan, Kelly Ferrier, Lineekela Kandjengo, Mairead Norton, Marsha Mills, Mitchell Gibbs, Natalio Godoy, Shelley Estes, Tristin McHugh, Veronica C. Mills, Angelo Villagomez, Adriana Vergés, Aaron Eger"
Can Bacteria Help Kelp? Presented by Suellen Dias, Kelp Ark
Kelp Goo: A Novel Approach to Kelp Nursery Operations Presented by Marah Beach, University of British Columbia
UCSD California Sea Grant Presented by Gail Bova, UCSD California Sea Grant
Kai Uluwehi Limu Company Hoʻokohukohu E Ka Limu Kohu: Integrating Traditional Knowledge Into Ex Situ Restoration of Limu Kohu Using Natural Substrates Presented by Makanahele Miles
9:30 - 11:00 || Workshop - Environmental Storytelling Workshop Where: Upper Gallery || Workshop Leader - Evan Schwart, Story is Strategy
9:45 - 11:15 || Workshop - From Algae to Ink: Create Your Own Natural Ink Where: Patio || Workshop Leader - Jennifer Gil, AlgyLab
9:45 - 10:20 || Talk session - The Kelp Network: Flash Talks Connecting People, Science and Seaweed Where: Theater || Moderator, Coach Jackson, Ocean Defenders
Coastal Defenders Indigenous Youth + Kelp Restoration Speaker Coach Jackson, Ocean Defenders
Be a Keystone Human: How Anyone Can Participate in Kelp Forest Restoration Speaker Ricardo Romero Gianoli, Keystone Forager
Creating New Affinity Spaces: Latinas in Marine & Aquatic Sciences Speaker Crystal Barajas, Latinas in Marine & Aquatic Sciences (LIMAS)
Relationships of Consent Through Cultivation and Germplasm Banking of Acid Kelp (Desmarestia sp.) Speaker Annette Moulay, Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute, Cal Poly Humboldt Building
10:30 - 11:20 || Derisking Seaweed Aquaculture Panel Where: Theater || Moderator Simona Augyte, UCSD California Sea Grant
Douglas Bush , Ocean Rainforest
Randy Lovell, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Jules Marsh, Brackish & Co.
Danial Gossard, WHOI
10:30 || Live Stream from Monterey Abalone Company Where: Gallery || Commentator, Blue Robotics
11:30 - 12:20 || Kelp Forests in a Changing Ocean Science Talks Session Where: Theater || Moderator: Brooke Reigel Stanford University
11:30 – 11:38 || Kelp across hemispheres: from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego Speaker: Carolina Olguin, Stanford University
11:40 - 11:48 || Hidden beneath the waves: the microscopic kelp life cycle Speaker: Brooke Reigel, Stanford University
11:50 - 11:58 || Perceptions of kelp forest interventions in the Monterey Bay area. Speaker: Carrie Pomeroy, UCSC
12:00 - 12:08 || Resilient kelp forests: a sea otter comeback story Speaker: Joshua Smith, UCSC
12:10 - 12:20 || A recipe for kelp forest recovery: Combining the right ingredients for kelp restoration in Northern California Speaker: Rachel Karm, TNC
11:30 - 12:20 || Panel - Preserving Genetic Diversity in Threatened Populations Where: Gallery || Moderator: Janet Kübler, CSUN
Michael Marty Rivera , Kelp Ark
Declan Bulwa, USC
Christopher Janusek, Oregon State University - Diversity and distribution of large brown seaweeds in the California Current ecosystem
Charles Yarish, UCONN, WHOI
11:30 - 12:30 || Workshop - Sea to Soil: Seaweed Powered Gardening Where: Patio || Lead by Kaira Wallace & Doug Bush, Ocean Rainforest
11:30 - 1:00 || Lecture and Workshop - Integrated Beaded Jellyfish Upper Gallery Where: Upper Gallery || Workshop Leader: Gwenevere Persaud, The Persaud Foundation
12:30 - 1:20 || Panel - Storytelling in the Kelp Forest, Arts and Media Where: Theater || Moderator Josie Iselin, Above/Below
Mariana Leuschel, Above/Below
Emma Akmadjian, Kelp Kulture
Natasha Benjamin, Independent Filmmaker
David Helvarg panelist, Blue Frontier
Pat Webster, Underwater Pat
12:30 - 1:20 || Mermaids Smoke Seaweeds Multimedia Presentation Where: Gallery || Speaker Hannah Eko
1:30 - 2:20 || Panel: Indigenous Forum Where: Theater || Moderator / Speaker, Esak Ordonez, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Member
Makanahele Miles, Kai Uluwehi Limu Company
Carla Munoz, Rumsen tribe
1:30 - 2:20 || Panel - Holdfast: A Creative and Scientific Dialogue on the Power of Marine Protected Areas Where: Gallery || Moderator: Marie McKenzie, Artist & Kelp Advocate
Avery Schuyler Nunn, Environmental Science Journalist
Jordan Manning, Laguna Blue Belt Coalition
Dan Abbott, Reef Check
1:30 - 2:25 || Workshop - Make Seaweed Sun prints Where: Patio || Workshop Leader: Sahrye Cohen
2:30 - 3:20 || Panel - Through the Lens of Monterey's Underwater Photographers Where: Theater || Moderator Jenna Emery
Pat Webster, Underwater Pat
Effie Benjamin
Sage Ono - Session Organizer
James Emery panelist
Brandon Huelga
2:30 - 3:20 || Talk - Seaweeds for Health, Interactive Presentation Where: Gallery || Speaker Tanya Steller, Healing Tide
2:30 - 4:00 || Workshop - Between Tide & Paper: Seaweed Identification, Pressing & Collage Where: Patio || Workshop Leaders: Mai Ryuno & Emily Gottlie
3:30 - 4:20 || Talks Session - Science Flash Talks Session 2 Where: Theater || Moderator Steve Dudgeon, CSUN
Gene Editing in Kelp: To Do or Not To Do Speaker: Siobhan Braybrook UCLA
Restoring the intertidal rockweed, Fucus distichus, in the East San Francisco Bay Speaker: Laura Anderson, UC Santa Cruz
How algae makes abalone aquaculture and research possible Speaker: Ann Bishop The Cultured Abalone Farm
What's the seaweed on my ceviche? Advances in seaweed cultivation and conservation in Peru Speaker: Jose Avila, Carnegie Science; Universidad Cientifica del Sur
Purple Sea Urchins 101 Speaker: Gwenevere Persaud, The Persaud Foundation
3:30 - 4:20 || Panel - Community Led Kelp Forest Restoration Where: Gallery || Moderator Annie Bauer-Civiello, Reef Check
Eric Sedletzky, P.U.R.P.
Peter Guinosso, Blue Harmony
Reuven Bank, Sunflower Star Lab
Dan Abbot, Reef Check
4:30 - 5:00 || Panel - Aquaculture Hot Takes Panel Where: Theater || Moderator: Tyler Buckingham & Co., Blue Robotics
2026 Exhibitors List
Blue Harmony [#69] California-based nonprofit focused on ocean health through education, storytelling, and community-driven conservation, featuring the immersive educational “Waves of Change Quiz Loop”
Blue Robotics [#65-66] marine robotics company specializing in vehicles and components that help with underwater research and exploration
California Sea Grant [#61] a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, the State of California and universities across the state to create knowledge, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of California
Camp SEA Lab [#72] marine science camp located in Monterey fostering lifelong excitement, scientific understanding, and stewardship of our coasts and ocean by providing quality marine oriented programs that promote science, education, and adventure for youth
Giant Kelp Restoration Diorama [#74] volunteer-driven organization restoring Monterey’s kelp forests through hands-on reef restoration, citizen science, and public engagement
Kelp Ark [#7] nonprofit corporation, focused on the development of an algal seedbank for aquaculture, research, and mariculture education for students and our community, and protection and restoration of the marine environment
Kelp Blue [#3] company harvesting cultivated kelp to produce ingredients for agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles with a booth displaying seaweed biostimulant for agriculture
Kelp RISES [#71] booth will display information from, and have interactive activities based on, the project on Kelp Restoration as an Integrated Socio-Ecological System (Kelp RISES), a collaboration between the University of California Davis, University of California Santa Cruz, and Cal Poly Humboldt
KSQD Community Radio [#64] building community through quality broadcasts, podcasts, training programs and community events
Monterey Audubon Society [#8] local Monterey chapter of the National Audubon Society dedicated to conserving and celebrating the birds and wildlife of the greater Monterey region with a booth sharing resources to learn about and find local birds and seabird monitoring projects
Monterey Bay Abalone Company [#57] an in-ocean abalone farm and small family-run business dedicated to practicing clean and sustainable methods and are hands-on in every phase of the cultivation and harvest of their abalone
Monterey Bay Aquarium [#5] meet some of the members of the aquarium’s research team and learn about current projects
MPA Collaborative Network [#46] non-profit organization that engages experts and diverse communities in marine protected area stewardship for a healthy ocean
NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary [#6] learn about the sanctuary which protects 276 miles of shoreline stretching from Marin’s Rocky Point to Cambria and encompassing 6,094 square miles of ocean
North American Marine Alliance [#19] fishermen’s alliance building a broad movement for healthy oceans and thriving fishing communities, focused on fisheries access and factory fish farming
Ocean Rainforest [#58] pioneering blue growth company offering a collection of seaweed products as well as taking part in research projects with a number of different partners to improve people’s wellbeing
Reef Check [#75] nonprofit organization leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide with a booth about the organization and data collected as well as how to get involved
Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute [#4] based at Cal Poly Humboldt and dedicated to revitalizing Indigenous food systems and fostering community-based food sovereignty
Save Our Shores [#70] marine conservation non-profit with a mission to foster a thriving Monterey Bay for all and protect and preserve the health of Monterey Bay and the Central Coast through education, advocacy, and outreach
Save the Whales [#2] nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve and protect the ocean and its inhabitants through education
Surfrider Foundation Monterey [#16] local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people through a powerful activist network
Sway [#68] California-based innovation company reimagining everyday materials, replacing polluting plastics with seaweed-based bags for shipping and shopping that break down into healthy soil through backyard compost
The Algae Foundation [#67] working to build a future where algae are recognized as essential solutions for a healthier society and a more sustainable planet through STEM education, workforce development, mentoring and public outreach
The Cultured Abalone Farm [#57] raises red abalone from hatchery to harvest, ranches purple sea urchins, tumble cultures red seaweed, and works to restore abalone along the California coast
Weigel Lab, Hopkins Marine Station [#1] research group based in Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University studying the ecology, physiology, and genomics of marine algae and microbial communities in the ocean
Western Flyer Foundation [#73] nonprofit organization bringing people together through public programs, tours, and events that connect communities to the ocean through science, art, storytelling, and a historic boat
2026 Vendors List
7 Ravens Studio [#47] scientific illustrations that tell the story of California ecosystems
90DA [#13] charms and stickers
Above Below [#17] seaweed books by Josie Iselin: “An Ocean Garden”, “The Curious World of Seaweed”, and “The Mysterious World of the Bull Kelp Forest”, seaweed notecards and scarves
Alexa Ortiz Creative [#27] art inspired by local marine ecosystems, in a variety of media
AlgyLab [#62] algae ink kits, handmade jewelry, and interactive workshops creating algae art
Amaya Gomez Studios [#18] hand-drawn science illustration prints, originals, and wearables featuring local wildlife including watercolors and cyanoprints
Andrea's Addictions [#37] upcycled women/men’s clothing, gifts and accessories
ARE Creations [#38] seaweed and plant cyanotype originals, prints, cards, clothing, and more
Art de DeLay [#35] art inspired by marine life and the coolest land species too
Art on the Half Shell [#59] unique, artfully coastal gifts, including oyster shell wall clocks, real oyster shell oyster plates, seashell wall clocks and more
Baja Naturals [#10] all-natural, nutritious, and sustainable kelp dog treats
Bery Birdy [#45] ocean-inspired ceramics, jewelry, and apparel made on the coast
Coastal Haze Designs [#48] original, hand-illustrated stickers, hand-pressed magnets, postcards, hand-cut notebooks, enamels, and other wearables
Coastside Home Goods [#33] coastal themed small batch soaps and candles, including sea otter soaps and state park candles
Dreams of a Scientist [#21] marine scientist based children’s picture book called “Dreams of a Scientist: Lessons from the Sea”, and science inspired art in the form of postcards, stickers, bandanas, and jewelry
Engrafft [#49] wearable art; graphic apparel and goods
Eve's Underwater Garden [#51] mother-daughter run business creating nature inspired resin jewelry and keepsakes
Fierce Siren Studios [#12] ocean art paintings and pieces that use beach-found items, sea glass and ocean jewelry
Hueneme Sea Farm LLC / Rockside Studio [#22] “Can You Read Channel Islands National Park?” book signing by marine scientist and illustrator, Lauren Kapphahn and original ocean-themed paintings and carbon neutral stickers
Jaymee Panian Fine Art [#60] fine art originals and prints, products based on fine art
Kelp Creations [#43] framed seaweed presses and embroidered kelp hats
LIV Creative [#15] underwater photography, seaweed pressings, seaweed in resin
Lotus Printworks [#9] small, one-woman business specializing in hand-carved and printed linoleum block prints inspired by California landscapes and wildlife
Luczo Illustration [#20] paintings and illustrations focused on coastal California wildlife and ecosystems
Mermaid Maura [#55] books centered around ocean adventures for children and the grown-ups who read beside them
Monterey Bay Seaweeds [#58] delicious and sustainably farmed seaweed, fresh seaweed products of different species
Nudibranch Nerd [#44] sustainably collected seaweed art including cyanotypes, prints, jewelry, wood pressings, nudibranch t-shirts, and a monthly printed zine
Pezzy Pets [#30] pet treats exclusively made from invasive species, with a particular focus on lionfish, silver carp, and armored catfish, as well as jewelry made from lionfish spines
Reef Renders [#40] painted replicas of marine wildlife designed and fabricated through Mixed Media & 3D printing
Rin Quartz & Gayleontology [#29] stickers, prints, cards, apparel, and original works inspired by nature, especially the diverse ecosystems of Monterey Bay
Salmon Seas [#42] fish otolith jewelry, salmon leather jewelry, hand painted fishing buoys and crab tags, bone china plates and platters
Salmonberry Prints [#26] block printed functional art inspired by the Pacific Northwest, featuring a variety of notebooks, stickers, greeting cards, and more
Salty and Wise [#24] hand collected, pressed and mounted seaweed collected throughout California, with species identification card and collector data
Salty Snail Studio [#39] responsibly sourced and sustainable red abalone art pieces including frames, wind chimes, jewelry, dining and gardening items and more
Sandbar Solar & Electric [#63] interactive games, prizes, information about solar and backup batteries, and community projects at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
San Pedro Soapworks [#56] bath, body, and hair care made with mineral-rich ingredients like kelp, seaweed, and marine collagen
Seaweed Art by Kaila [#11] cyanotype and resin jewelry seaweed art
Seaweed Stuff [#50] seaweed + surf art blending the love for waves and the world of seaweed, including canvas prints, framed originals, cyanotype tote bags and tees
Sequoia Siren [#36] scientifically accurate representations of local species on accessories made of salvaged material, recycled acrylic, and seaweed based ink
Snapdragon Ceramics [#34] hand-built ceramics that are functional and whimsical, including vases, plant pockets, dishes, magnets, jewelry, and garden items
Spiral Sister Designs [#32] nature-inspired jewelry crafted with abalone shells ethically found by hand along the central California coast
Sunflower Star Lab [#31] research and conservation to recover the sunflower star, building kelp forest resilience with our communities
The Local Naturalist [#23] science illustrations featuring marine and terrestrial organisms, with a focus on kelps and other seaweeds, on a variety of products
The Vitality Way LLC [#52] fresh flavored sea moss from the ocean with 92 central minerals sold in a jar on ice
Versiliy [#54] jewelry made from kelp
Wavehaven Glass [#41] seaweed stained glass and ocean vibes
WhimSea [#53] seaweed art squares, California seaweed t-shirts, seaweed design faded flannel shirts, pressed seaweed keychains, and pendants
Wild By Nature Studio [#14] one-of-a-kind art, jewelry, and accessories made with unconventional natural materials, including real fish skin and fins
Wood crafts Alebrijes [#25] wood carvings of the copal tree known as alebrijes, which represent creativity and imagination
