I confess that I was completely unaware of the existence of the International Biology and Macroalgae Center (IBMC) until a couple of months ago – given their plans to foster international research collaboration in order to grow the value of the global seaweed industry to over a trillion dollars, it’s surprising that they haven’t been making more noise. While their lofty ambitions and collaborative approach are both laudable, some of the ways they are hoping to achieve this – for example the use of seaweed to create bioethanol – might hint at the hazards of an ecosystem dominated by academics. For the seaweed sector to hit IBMC's 13 figure value it’s almost certainly going to require the development of more lucrative applications for algae and also the involvement of major industrial, not purely academic, players.