Invitation for Kelp Farmers: Share Your Experience ($50 Gift Card Offered)
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Greetings,
I am inviting current and former commercial kelp farmers to take part in a confidential research study. The goal of this study is to better understand what motivates people to become kelp farmers, how farming affects their well-being, and what factors influence decisions to stay in—or leave—the industry.
To be eligible, you must have held a commercial license or lease and actively farmed kelp for at least one growing season at any time since 2016.
If you choose to participate, you will be asked to join a 45-minute confidential interview via Zoom. As a thank-you for your time, you will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
Some of you may know me from my previous work as a seaweed extension educator with Connecticut Sea Grant. This project, however, is part of my PhD research in the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. The study has been reviewed and approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
The results will help identify the changing needs of kelp farmers in the U.S. and may be used to inform future policies, guide farmer support programs, and improve communication about seaweed aquaculture.
If you are interested—or if you would like more details—please send me a DM. Thank you for considering this opportunity. Your experiences and insights are very important to this research.
Sincerely, Anoushka Concepcion, PhD Candidate; Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island
@anoushka_65 Thanks for posting, Anoushka! @david_bailey and @lindsay_olsen could you tag or share with U.S.-based kelp farmers who may be interested?
@kendall_barbery Yes please!
@kendall_barbery Thank you!!!!!
@kendall_barbery Yes please!
@kendall_barbery Thank you!!!!!