In Cape Cod Bay, Pilgrim, a 10-year-old whale, and her calf glide near the Shearwater research vessel, feeding on tiny crustaceans. They are part of the remaining 340 North Atlantic right whales, a decline from 480 in 2010.
Whales face significant risks from ship strikes and entanglement in ropes commonly used for lobster fishing along the U.S. East Coast. Since 2017, scientists have documented 98 instances of whale injuries or fatalities caused by these hazards.
As the U.S. Department of Energy works to increase the production of clean energy by stepping up research into seaweed, or kelp, as a potential source of biofuel, scientists warn the whales now face a new threat.
Tens of millions of dollars have been invested in this kind of research by the DOE. If successful, supporters claim that seaweed provides a more environmentally friendly option to ethanol made from corn.
Whale biologists express concern about seaweed farms, which, similar to Conventional lobster fishing methods, utilize underwater ropes to support the growth of kelp.
Though there have been no recorded instances of whales getting entangled in seaweed ropes, marine biologist Michael Moore from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution remains concerned. He emphasizes that the presence of ropes in the water column inherently carries the risk of entanglement.
Although Seaweed aquaculture is a young industry in the U.S, it is expanding quickly. Two years ago, American farms saw a significant increase in production, with 440 metric tons being produced, compared to a mere 18 metric tons in 2017.
The majority of what was harvested was used to make food, medications, or cosmetics. However, American officials are hoping that if seaweed can be shown to be a more affordable alternative to corn, energy leaders will incorporate it into their biofuel plans. These sites are located throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
"Renewable liquid fuels are particularly appealing as they enable us to utilize the existing infrastructure for liquid fuels," stated Simon Freeman, an oceanographer and the head of the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program that funds seaweed research.
Supporters of kelp further point out that unlike seaweed, corn requires agrochemicals that pollute waterways and consumes freshwater and land that are both becoming increasingly limited.
In order to explore the potential of seaweed production to fulfill a portion of the country's energy requirements, the Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated over $55 million to support 21 initiatives since 2017.
According to the department, the nation possesses a sufficient expanse of coastline and the ideal growing conditions for a minimum of 500 million metric tons of seaweed to be produced annually. This amount could provide up to 2.7 quadrillion BTUs of biofuel, or about 10% of the country's annual energy needs for transportation.
Kelp can't currently compete with corn's low price. To compete with corn, U.S. seaweed production prices must decrease from their current range of $300 to $1,000 per metric ton, according to Freeman.
The potential for producing ethanol from microalgae, a plant-like organism that is not visible to the naked eye, has long been researched by major oil firms like Exxon, but they eventually abandoned the project due to worries about cost and scalability.
Kelp harvested in spring around New England coincides with the feeding season of North Atlantic right whales in the area, as they track their prey into Canadian waters.
The state of Massachusetts has granted coastal permits to five sugar kelp farms but prohibits the installation of anchored ropes in deeper waters that are important for right whales, according to Christian Pepitas from the state's marine fisheries division.
The U.S. Army Corps has issued permits for 235 seaweed projects from 2018 in New England waters beyond 5.6 kilometers (3 nautical miles) offshore.
Due to concerns about entanglement, the federal government has implemented regulations on rope usage in the lobster fishery, including seasonal closures. Cape Cod Bay, for instance, is off-limits to lobster fishermen until all right whales have migrated.
For states heavily reliant on the lobster fishery, the development of seaweed farms raises concerns about hypocrisy. Maine's marine resources department, which has permitted coastal seaweed farms covering nearly 50 hectares (120 acres), expressed reservations about large aquaculture projects that rely heavily on ropes while simultaneously requiring fishermen to remove ropes from the ocean to protect right whales, according to spokesperson Jeff Nichols.
Following a day of kelp harvesting, John Lovett, owner of Duxbury Sugar Kelp, relaxes on his boat in the shallow waters of Cape Cod Bay near his 4-hectare (10-acre) farm. Lovett was required to relocate his proposed farm to a more sheltered area of the bay by state regulators due to concerns about cetaceans. He is currently collaborating with Woods Hole to test whale-friendly kelp gear and dedicating an acre of his shallow water plot to research. The kelp arrays are pinned close to the ocean floor, allowing whales to pass over them, and Lovett is experimenting with using stiff fiberglass rods as a replacement for ropes, designed to break rather than entangle whales that come into contact with them. He hopes that these designs, once proven effective, can be utilized in future offshore sites where whales frequently travel.
Scott Lindell, a Woods Hole researcher who received a $4.9 million DOE grant for sugar kelp biofuel research, has been discussing plans with biologist Michael Moore to expand kelp production as whales follow their prey into new areas due to ocean warming. Lindell mentioned that if whale migrations become more unpredictable and regulations become stricter, stiffer structures may be necessary, which could increase the cost of operating kelp farms and pose challenges to achieving a low-carbon future while minimizing risks to protected species.