European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 3, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jellyfish calorie free High in protein in the by Laura Randall National geographic rom August through december every year the Waters off Panacea Fla turn into a White and purple polka Dot sea As millions of jellyfish the size of soccer balls pulsate along this stretch of Gulf of Mexico coast. To commercial Fisherman such As Leo Lovel of Panacea and to every Swinimer who has Ever been stung by one the Cannonball jellyfish a Stom Lophus Mele Agris a Are like jellyfish everywhere a painful irritating nuisance. But to Florida aquaculture officials the cannonballs Are potential moneymakers. Dried jellyfish Are a seasonal delicacy in Southeast Asia Malaysia alone has 30 processing plants serving a $30 million Industry. _. Last year Japan spent $35 million on imported jellyfish South Korea $11 million. China exported $20 million. Worth a a the asians eat species of the tentacled gelatinous sea creatures that Are plentiful in Waters close to Home. Why the floridians ask should t the cannonballs which scientists consider one of the most unusual of some 200 jellyfish species compete As food with the asian varieties Quot cannonballs have a weaker sting than most other Medusae a the scientific name for jellyfish a making them easier for fishermen to handler they swim faster than others. They re found Between Chesapeake Bay and Venezuela and Are most plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico. Most importantly their promoters say dried cannonballs have a Crunchy Quality unmatched by other species. A. Florida officials Are counting on this distinction to woo asian importers. Quot we have a world class jellyfish Here Quot Lovel boasts. A to make a pitch to the huge asian Market and at the same tire help revive Florida s beleaguered fishing. _ Industry state officials had a ton of the umbrella like cannonballs hauled in last summer and processed in a Laboratory. The results a nearly 200 pounds of Crunchy Flat pancakes a were shipped to Japan China and Malaysia and to a few new York based exporters. _ no orders came through immediately. But in october a wholesale grocer in Japan paid $3.15 a kilogram for 3,150 kilograms nearly 7,000 pounds of dried cannonballs and indicated he would place a Multi ton order next summer says Jack Rudloe who runs a non profit Marine Laboratory in Panacea. A Rudloe was one of the first in the Florida Panhandle fishing Community to recognize a potential commercial value in the cannonballs. His interest in turning hem into a marketable product. Took him to Malaysia where he studied jellyfish processing techniques. He is now seeking financial support to develop a two step Quot jellyfish washing machine Quot that will Speed up the. Cumbersome drying process. Florida seafood officials meanwhile have requested a $50,000 to $75,000 Grant to pursue jellyfish processing on a larger scale. Legislative approval  this Spring. A a. A a while Rudloe  entrepreneurs Hope eventually o Al jellyfish the Bane of Beac goers and commercial fishermen is a popular dish in parts of the Orient. National geographic thai women prepare dried jellyfish for shipment to other Southeast asian countries. To turn a profit on Cannonball safes Leo Lovel and most other Gulf coast fishermen simply want the jellyfish out of their territory. 7 the Large Medusae clog and weigh Down shrimp nets making it difficult to drag in and sort the catch. Quot shrimpers Are forced to find other areas to work but there May not be any shrimp in those areas Quot says Charles g Thomas head of Florida s division of seafood and aquaculture. A. A. A. On the other Side of the world however this Bane of Gulf coast fishermen graces any proper banquet table Quot it has attained a very High status in asian society Quot says Samson Hsia a food technologist in Foster City Calif. Quot it s a must at chinese banquets As part of the first  the Clear Noodle like strips laced with sesame Oil and piled next to sea cucumbers and turnips Are a far cry from the passive bluish Brownish or purplish watery blobs that plague Beac goers worldwide. To reach this edible state jellyfish Are cured for a couple of weeks with Salt and Alum which draw out most of the moisture. The dried disks Are soaked in fresh water then Cut into strips. Just before serving the strips Are National geography like jellyfish a a giving it the texture of an edible rubber band. In boiling water for a minute or two. The final product is Quot one non Stop proteinase doritos Quot Rudloe says. Properly prepared jellyfish has a mild fishy flavor and an elastic Crunchy texture something like that of an edible rubber band besides bolstering the profits of local fishermen . Food professionals believe a Domestic jellyfish Industry would Appeal to millions of diet conscious americans Quot we spend so much Money on cutting Down the calories of certain foods and jellyfish already comes with no calories Quot says Peggy Heleh a food sciences professor at Alabama s Auburn University. It s also High in protein Calcium and Iron she says., despite these benefits and a Cost comparable to Chicken Many food experts doubt that americans will Ever accept jellyfish As enthusiastically As they have accepted such previously unfamiliar foods As Tofu and sushi. Many people will eat a food for its taste and nutritional value but Quot this is not True of americans Quot Hsia says. Quot there s a textural Barrier that most americans won t  seaweed by Glenn Adams the associated press Wim aside sardines. 5tahd Back Salmon. Seaweed is moving into Eastport Maine As the latest treat from the  new company is growing the japanese variety of non a a Staple of sushi bars a in Waters better known for Salmon aquaculture and the herring that used to Supply a number of sardine Canning plants. Coastal plantations International inc. A claims to be the Only seaweed farming company in North America. Its president and chief executive officer Ira Levine says most of America s Nori comes from Japan China and Korea where it is grown in abundance and considered an everyday food. Crowing the plants on 6 by 60-foot nets suspended in the cold Waters off the nation s easternmost City coastal plantations Hopes to produce 1 percent of the Nori. Consumed in the United states this year. Within three years Levine Hopes to capture 10 percent of the Domestic Market a that is if americans take to eating the nutrient Rich seaweed with soup and salads and using it to flavor hamburgers and make Tea. The cultivated seaweed grows into what resembles a dark red Brown Leafy lettuce. It s grown up to 10 inches before it s clipped and taken to a factory where the clippings Are chopped and dried to form 8-Inch-Square sheets. The worldwide Market is estimated at 12 to 15 billion sheets. A those who prefer Nori by itself can break pieces off the dry paper thin sheets. Place a piece on your Tongue and it melts in your Mouth. Levine who describes the taste As Quot nutty roast Smoky Quot said Nori has been known for its or medicinal a a a qualities since 3,000 . It is known to lower cholesterol and studies Are being done on its ability to cure stomach cancer and ulcers said Levine who has a doctorate in seaweed farming  at the University of Southern Maine. An earlier attempt to farm Nori aided by University of Washington researchers failed to work in the 1980s because of a Lack of aquaculture lease Sites on the West coast. A a a a Quot. Quot a a a a a a v. /. Quot Levine then an aquaculture consultant was looking for an Opportunity to Start his own business. He found ample seaweed farming grounds off Maine s Rocky coast and had the advantage of other americans experience growing the Plant. Last fait coastal plantations reaped its first Harvest in its second year in the business a Only a third As Long As it took the Western growers to reach that Point. Quot our learning curve is Steep but not As Steep As other Peoples Quot said Steve Crawford who oversees operations at the company s Eastport Plant a former sardine Cannery jutting Over cobs Cook Bay. Crawford who has been in fish aquaculture for 23 years and once ran the largest Catfish farm in Oklahoma had obtained aquaculture permits and had set up a processing Plant by the time Levine came on the scene and coastal plantations was formed in 1992. Coastal plantations has leases to grow Nori on 80 acres of the Bay parts of which resemble a floating Checkerboard where Salmon and Rainbow Trout Are also grown for commercial use. Maine s growing season runs from june to december when the water matches the temperatures of Tokyo Bay where japanese grow Nori from january to june. Raa a. 1 a Nallo Naf geographic a new englander Nils a boat with seaweed. If a company s plans work out it will begin farming seaweed by growing it on nets and clipping it for easy Harvest Levine s company has applied for Nori cultivation leases on 140 acres of water off Eastport where others could grow Nori for coastal plantations. The Salmon Farmers according to Levine Are Likely prospects. The two products he says complement each other since Nori thrives on Salmon excrement by placing Nori plantations around Salmon aquaculture Sites Salmon Farmers would cleanse the water of Salmon waste while nourishing the Nori. Some facts about Nori Nori a tasty seaweed Long popular in the Orient and increasingly popular in America is cultivated in a multiple stage process. J in Maine the process starts with a furry Ball of imported japanese seaweed smaller than a fingertip which is _ _ emulsified in a blender. The fluid is poured on scores of Scallop and Oyster shells. The shells Are suspended for months in pools of water kept at temperatures simulating those of Nori s native Tokyo Bay in the summer. Maine s growing season is during the warmer months when the water temperatures match those of Japan during its Winter and growing season. Through manipulation of temperatures and Light hairline filaments grow on the shells and produce millions Quot this is not just a seaweed company Quot said Levine whose company will work to genetically improve the four local species of non with Hopes of making them More. Palatable and commercially viable like tobacco the world Market Price of Nori is fixed regularly on the basis of Quality. At the health food store or sushi bar prices for the poorest Quality Nori a re 19 cents a Sheet the Best sheets can Cost $10 each coastal plantations mid Range Nori is running 45-00 cents a Sheet. Of microscopic spores or seeds.  fila ments release their seeds the shells Quot Are put into a Large tank built to accommodate c by 60-foot nets the tiny seeds attach themselves to the huge nets As they Are immersed in the vat setting the stage for thur seaweed cultivation  the nets Are placed in aquaculture lease Sites. Cultivated Nori grows into what resembles a dark red Brown Leafy lettuce. It is allowed to grow up to 10 inches Long before it s dipped. Nori clippings Are taken to the factory where they Are chopped and piped onto a machine that dries the Nori and produces neat 8-by-8-Inch  a the associated press