6th Annual California

Seaweed Festival

At - A - Glance Schedule

Friday, October 10th

Seaweed Speakeasy Fundraiser

(Learn more and get tickets HERE!)

Where: Lands End Berth 60 at AltaSea, Port of Los Angeles

Saturday, October 11th

California Seaweed Festival at Sea Fair

Festival Theme: Urban Ocean Ecosystems

When: 10 am - 6 pm Where: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Hands-on activities, Vendors, Food & Cooking Demos, Science & Technology, Live Music, Magical Creatures, Touch Tanks & more

Schedule

🌿

2025

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Schedule 🌿 2025 🌊

California Seaweed Festival at Sea Fair

When: Saturday, Oct 11th 10 am - 6 pm Where: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Festival Theme: Urban Ocean Ecosystems

Hands-on activities, Vendors, Food & Cooking Demos, Science & Technology, Live Music, Magical Creatures, Touch Tanks & more All day fun free activities: Seaweed Pressing, Seaweed Printing, Seaweed Collage Table, Epoxy Resin Pendant making - limited, Seaweed Jenga, Meet the Mermaid’s of the Kelp Forest, Bingo rally, Loteria and more!

Where: Auditorium What: Panels, Presentations, & Puppet Show When:10am-5:45pm

10:30am - 11:30am
Aquaculture/farming/ (5min Presentations & Panel)
Moderated by Rafel Cuevas Uribe, Cal Poly Humboldt

Nick Mangini - SWAMC/KISS KELP
Cindy Wilcox - Marine Bioenergy
Nathan Churches - Holdfast Aquaculture/Grassy Bar Oyster Co Antonio Tovar - NAMA

11:45am - 12:45pm
Science Lighting Talks (5 min Presentations) Moderated by Lais Lima, UCSD

Dr. Lauren Smith, TNC / UCSB Jennifer Burnaford, CSU Fullerton Frej Tulin, Carnegie Science Phillip Tahimic, Cal Poly Humboldt Evan Simpson, Cal Poly Humboldt Yuanzi Huo, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute Mei Blundell, UC Davis Dan Abbot, Reef Check Foundation

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Seaweed Figures: Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities
Moderated by Melody Jue, UCSB

Joe Riley, UCSD David Stentiford, Stanford Kenan Chan Sohl Lee SUNY, Stony Brook

2:15pm - 3:15pm
CMA Puppet Show
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

3:30pm - 4:30pm
California's Kelp Trends through the Ages: from Deep Time to the Present and Future
Moderated by Jess Carstens-Kass, UCLA

David Jacobs, UCLA Dr. Maura Sullivan, Chumash linguist Gauwain Antell, UCLA Siobhan Braybrook, UCLA

4:45pm - 5:45pm
Seaweed Stories by Lonely Whale - Screening & Panel
Moderated by Simona Augyte, CA Sea Grant

Charlie Yarish, UCONN Catherine O'Hare, Sway Nancy Caruso, Get Inspired Lucy Bellwood, Adventure Cartoonist

Where: Courtyard What: Panels & Cooking Demo When:10am-4:00pm

10:30am - 11:30am
Indigenous People's Forum
Moderated by Cindi Alvitare, Gabrieleno/Tongva Hear Gabrielino/Tongva women share the challenges and ongoing work as traditional caretakers of the ocean.

Weshoyot Alvitre, Tongva/Scottish Paahavet Carmelo, Tongva, Kumeyaay, Nahua

11:45am - 12:45pm
Seaweed Applications in Farming and Health Panel Moderated by Kalani Ortiz, UCSD

Doug Bush, Ocean Rainforest Emily Power, OceanMade Julia Perederiy, OmBiome Kendall Barbery, Greenwave

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Urban Ocean Ecosystems Panel
Moderated by Janet Kubler, CSUN

Renee Angwin, Port of SD Cheyenne Bridge, UCSD Chloe McKenna, Hebridean Coastal Stories

2:15pm - 3:15pm
Restoration & Seaweed Solutions Panel
Moderated by Jules Marsh, Santa Monica College

Erica Nielsen, TNC/UCSB Lais Lima, UCSD Meliza Le, Cuidemos el océano, A.C. Benjamin Grime - TNC

3:30pm - 4:30pm
Cooking Demo - Poke with Ogo
Demonstrated by Emily Miller & Iris Romero of CA Sea Grant and Delta Stewardship Council, and Ann Bishop of The Cultured Abalone Farm

When: 10:15am-5:30pm
Where: Classroom What: Workshops

(Tickets required) CLICK HERE

10:15am - 11:15am
Seaweed in a Solidarity Economy
Lead by Julia Dunn, Earth Equity

11:30am - 12:30pm
Identifying Common Seaweeds Lead by Adi Khen & Jen Smith, UCSD

12:45pm - 1:45pm
Glow with Kelp: DIY Sunscreen from Ocean Science
Lead by Jason Williams, UCLA

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Artistic Seaweed Pressings
Lead by Karina Arzuyan, USC

3:15pm - 4:15pm
Seaweed Ink
Lead by Jenny Gil, Algy Lab

4:30pm - 5:00pm
Algae Jello as Abalone Feed
Lead by Johanna Hultberg, Aquarium of the Pacific

When: 10:00am-5:00pm
Where: Various Locations What: Activities

10:00am - 5:00pm, Activity Area Seaweed Pressing

10am-5pm, Activity Area Seaweed Printing

10am-5pm, Activity Area Collage Table

11:30am-12:30pm, Activity Area Epoxy Resin Pendant - Limited Availability

10am -1pm & 2-5pm, Activity Area Mermaids Sura and Kairi

10am-5pm, Lawn Area Seaweed Jenga

12pm - 4pm, Activity Area Underwater VR Experience - Under The Blue Line

1pm - 2pm, Library Children's Book Reading; Wee Kelpy's Forest

10am-5pm, Festival grounds ResilienSea 

10am-5pm, Poster art tent Seaweed Stories

10am-5pm, Courtyard Food tastings

10am-5pm, Courtyard Touch tanks

When: 2pm-3:30pm
Where: Aquatic Nursery What:
Poster Presentations

Rachel Le - Cal Poly Pomona Luke Miller - San Diego State University Kelsey McKenna - Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Deidre Sullivan - Catalina Island Marine Institute
Jennifer Burnaford - CSU Fullerton
Makena Rush - UC Santa Cruz
Chloe McKenna - Hebridean Coastal Stories Frej Tulin - Carnegie Science
Antonio Tovar - NAMA
Daniel O'Shea
- TNC/ UCSB Mackenzie Grebner - UCSB

When: 10:00am-5:45pm
Where: Entertainments Stage on the Lawn What: Entertainment

10:00am - 10:15am
Welcome with Tribal Elder

10:45am - 10:50am Makena Rush Choreographed Dance

11:00am - 1:00pm Christian Clemesha - Music

1:15pm - 3:15pm Jetpack - Music

3:15pm - 3:45pm Bilingual Loteria

3:45pm - 5:45pm The Towels - Music

PARTICIPATING VENDORS & EXHIBITORS

Baja Naturals - All natural, nutritious and sustainable KELP dog treats!

Blue Echo Exhibition - Selected projects by emerging artists from California Institute of the Arts, designed to spark conversation and inspire action around the ocean as a vital solution to the world’s climate challenges. Several different works to engage you in different ways.

By Maps - Hats with seaweed slogans.

California Sea Grant UCSD - A unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, 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.

Cal Poly Humboldt - Learn about careers in Fisheries Biology, Marine Biology, Biology, Oceanography, Wildlife and Zoology.

CSU Long Beach STABB (Stingray and Butterfly Biomechanics) Lab - Our undergraduate research lab studies the movement and behaviors of animals, and we are currently focused on the round stingray. Come learn all about how stingrays strike, the differences in their barbs, and how to stay safe on the beach.

Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium - Information about how you can be involved with your local aquarium!

Get Inspired! - Our non-profit is dedicated to community-based ocean restoration projects. We have worked to restore the giant kelp forests of Orange County and are working on green abalone, white seabass and Pismo clams, with the help of students in classrooms and our volunteers.

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute - Exhibit of a modular, land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Recirculating Aquaculture System (IMTRAS) designed for finfish, sea cucumbers and seaweeds, which optimizes resource utilization and reduces seawater use and nutrient discharge.

Kelp Ark - Our seaweed biobank, a carefully curated collection of seaweed seed stocks and their microbial communities, will pave the way for a more sustainable and biodiverse future by facilitating marine conservation and implementation of eco-friendly solutions. 

Kelp Art - A celebration of seaweed and surfing, combining cyanotypes of live kelp and film photography from surf and underwater adventures to create art that brings a piece of the ocean to your home.

Kelp Clothing LLC - Garments made from kelp-based fibers—naturally renewable, ocean-friendly, and incredibly soft. As a fiber source, kelp grows fast, requires no fresh water or pesticides, and actually absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Limu & Moore - Handmade, local seaweed art inspired by the beauty and science of the ocean, including pressings, collages, cards, stickers and more, using seaweeds mostly from the La Jolla area. I am influenced by the many female phycologists who have come before me, and their legacy in sharing knowledge about seaweed in food, art and science.

Low Tide Landing - Hand-forged, ocean-inspired sterling silver jewelry featuring sea glass, seashells and stones.

Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project - Learn about projects and activities to connect aquatic corridors by removing barriers such as dams.

90DA - Stickers, charms and prints!

OC Habitats - We protect native habitats and species through education and outreach, restoration projects and species monitoring in Orange County and surrounding areas.

Ocean Art by Angela Jones - Handmade custom algae presses, algae art, underwater photography and handmade, ocean-inspired functional pottery.

Ocean Institute - Learn about Giant Kelp anatomy and ongoing uses of kelp, and check out our tank of local Giant Kelp from Dana Point harbor.

Ocean Made - Eco-friendly biodegradable seed starting pots, made from kelp!

Ocean Rainforest - Display of their new seaweed biostimulant, MakroBoost, derived from local Macrocystis pyrifera and designed to improve the sustainability of regional agriculture. Product samples and info about a planned offshore seaweed aquaculture site in Ventura.

OmBiome - Algae botanicals for the mouth and gut. Our flagship Spirulina Oral Care line offers an innovative nutrient-rich approach to your daily hygiene regime.

OoMee - Healthy beverage crafted with red seaweed to help curb cravings and support everyday wellness.

Origin Seaweed - Hand harvested wild Mendocino seaweeds and seaweed products.

Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society - We are dedicated to protecting birds and the places where they live, including shores and oceans.

Pelagic Problems - Sustainably sourced and eco-friendly stickers, magnets and apparel that celebrates seaweed, marine conservation and Los Angeles coastal culture.

Port of San Diego - Learn about the Seaweed and Shellfish Aquaculture Program (SSAP) and Blue Economy Incubator (BEI) projects happening down south.

Reef Check Foundation - Leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of reef communities worldwide. Join us in our mission to create a sustainable future through education, research and conservation.

Salmon Seas - Handmade jewelry using fish otoliths, plus stickers, patches and hand-painted found fishing buoys.

Salty Snail Studio - Responsibly sourced red abalone art pieces, including frames, hanging wind chimes, jewelry, dining and gardening accessories, and natural shells. All of our shell is sources from a California commercial abalone farm.

San Pedro Soapworks - Bath, body and hair care products inspired by the natural beauty of coastal California and infused with nourishing marine ingredients like kelp and seaweed extracts, marine collagen, and sea salts.

Seatrees - Our mission is to regenerate the health of our ocean planet. Check out our educational information or buy some merch to support our cause.

Sequoia Siren - We design and make jewelry as scientifically accurate representations of native flora, fauna, and fungi, with a dash of folklore. Earrings, pins, hair accessories, necklaces, ring and more, each with fun facts about the species and a map of where you can find them.

7 Seas Collective - Learn about our non-profit organization’s citizen science opportunities and ocean steward community.

Shark Stewards - A project of Earth Island Institute, protecting endangered sharks from overfishing and the shark fin trade. Fun shark activities for kids!

Shera Dolmatz Finkel - Upcycled art made from recycled flipflops, handcrafted in Kenya. We upcycle more than 1 million flipflops each year and support jobs for nearly 100 artisans.

Southeast Conference, Alaska Mariculture Cluster - A coalition that includes members of Alaska’s mariculture industry, tribal organizations, regulatory agencies, universities, Economic Development Districts, trade groups and others to catalyze a sustainable mariculture industry.

Thunderbird Design Studio - Graphic design and small batch art and goods inspired by the natural world, with a portion of every sale going to support wildlife and conservation groups like Trout Unlimited and the Coastal Conservation Association.

Ti’at Society - Traditional California Indian products, including jewelry, clothing and herbal products, created by a variety of Tingva community members.

University of Southern California Sea Grant - Check out our interactive activities about sustainable ocean farming and more!

Versily - Necklaces handcrafted from wild ocean-grown algae. Each piece carries raw, organic textures never seen in jewelry before.

West Coast Kelp Ltd - Canada’s go-to implementation partner for researchers and non-profits testing kelp restoration and cultivation at scale. We have a commercial land-based nursery and permitted ocean sites, providing the infrastructure and technical support to turn lab ideas into field-ready projects.

WhimSea - Seaweed art squares, plus t-shirts, greeting cards, necklaces, keychains and tea towels with California seaweed designs.

OUR MISSION

Celebrating the interdependence of people, seaweeds and coastal ecosystems.

OUR STORY

The California Seaweed Festival arose from decades of studying seaweeds, admiring their beauty and learning myriad ways that seaweeds make life better. We want to share the beauty and diversity of seaweeds on our coasts. 

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Help us celebrate seaweeds in California by becoming a sponsor!

Our 2025 Sponsors & Partners

Collaborators



Our 2025 Sponsors



Kelp Forest Sponsors

Frond Sponsors



Holdfast Sponsors



In-Kind Donors



Smog City Brewing Co, Kachemak Kelp, Uncharted Alaska, North Coast Seafoods, Morgan Morgan, CSUN, Monterey Bay Seaweeds, Karn's Kelp, Blue Evolution

Join us, we’re social!

It’s always a good time to celebrate seaweeds in California.