Health by stealth: behavioural psychology behind seaweed's market adoption. Here is a fascinating example of psychology and behavioural science applied to the market adoption of seaweed-based ingredients. Do people want to eat seaweed?  In the west, not really. Do people want to eat healthy food?  Yes, it’s an established trend. Do they need to be told what makes it healthy?  Well… The idea behind health by stealth is that customers are told the benefit of a product, which is

I think this is possibly the most important topic ocean founders need to learn in 2026: human behaviour. Here are a few reasons why: ☑️ Social Licence: The oceans are the ultimate commons. They are fundamentally shared spaces. You can't just buy a plot and build a factory, or buy a server and build software. Ocean founders must contend with social licence in ways most other founders never face. ☑️ Future Proofing: AI will disrupt countless skills and business models, but one

Salmon sushi was not a thing. Norway "invented" it. In 1986, the Norwegian government launched Project Japan: a marketing campaign that completely changed sushi culture globally. Norway had surplus of farmed salmon. Japan's demand for tuna exceeded supply. Japanese consumers were hesitant about raw salmon due to parasite fears, but salmon from Norwegian aquaculture didn't have that problem. The trouble was convincing the Japanese. A dedicated team from Norway, led by marketin

I met  Luciano Hiriart-Bertrand  at a cafe in Frutillar (Chile), by the Teatro del Lago. A world-famous theatre built on the shores of Llanquihue Lake, overlooking a snow-capped volcano. Luciano is the Founder of  Costa Humboldt , an organisation focused on the conservation of natural ecosystems in coastal areas. One of the main areas of interest for Luciano is the protection of the Patagonian fjords. Having just been back myself from a 2000+ kilometre trip along the coast of

I visited an indigenous family to learn about artisanal fishing. I left feeling it was about much more than that. Pablo and his father, Luis, welcomed me at their family restaurant in Maicolpue. A fishing village in the south of Chile. Like the majority of people here, their family is Mapuche, the indigenous people of this area. The restaurant is closed, and it’s just the three of us there. We sit down on soft chairs. A tray of freshly made empanadas is placed on a side table

Patagonia’s aquaculture needs “entrepreneurial samurais”. Could that be you? Argentinian Patagonia holds a huge potential to develop its ocean economy, particularly sustainable aquaculture.  What is holding it back is the lack of people. Historically, this remote area has lived with its back to the ocean, more focused on agriculture, animal farming, and extracting industries (oil and gas). Yet, there is everything here for the creation of a thriving ocean economy hub. Along t