Marine Biologist Dr. Danilo Largo, manager of the USC Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO), and a full professor of the USC Department of Biology, was recently featured on a German radio station to discuss the economic opportunities of the Philippine seaweed industry amid climate change and shifting global markets. 

During his interview with journalist Kathrin Materna, he shared insights into how macroalgae serve as a critical shield against environmental degradation. As the country’s second-top export commodity, Dr. Largo emphasized that the country’s seaweed sector has been sustaining the livelihoods of many Filipinos across coastal families. 

While Indonesia has overtaken the Philippines in red seaweed production for carrageenan processing, he noted that the Philippines maintains a distinct advantage in research and development. To counter genetic exhaustion caused by decades of vegetative cloning, he shared with the radio station that his team is currently sourcing robust wild strains to protect the industry from a total collapse.

While working on his Sargassum aquaculture project, Dr. Largo developed a highly scalable land-based hatchery system designed to supply farmers with sustainable planting materials.

Dr. Largo noted that Sargassum is the only tropical seaweed with a biomass comparable to kelp, found in temperate regions. It has the potential to open new growth areas for the Philippine Blue Economy.

Largo urged government backing for sustainable marine farming systems to secure local food supplies. He added that this shift would eventually allow the country to profit from global carbon-offset markets.