An art exhibition inspired by seaweed research has opened in Aberystwyth.

IBERS Director, Professor Iain Donnison opened Ar Lan y Môr / On the Seashore on 15 November.

The exhibition, a collaboration between Aberystwyth Printmakers and Dr Jessica Adams, Senior Research Scientist at IBERS, brings together more than 40 contributors inspired by the coast.

Dr Adams’ research explores the many uses of seaweed - from developing biodegradable plastic films made from seaweed compounds to investigating seaweed extracts as food ingredients and natural fertilisers. Her work also looks at enzymes that can break down harmful algal blooms.

“In addition to my fundamental research on advancing the uses and benefits of seaweed, I wanted people to be able to engage with my work in new and exciting ways,” said Dr Adams.

“By joining forces with Aberystwyth Printmakers, I hope we have opened different ways of looking at the natural world around us, especially here on the beautiful west coast of Wales.”

IBERS and Aberystwyth Printmakers previously collaborated in 2023 when artwork was created using paper made from miscanthus, a biomass crop bred at IBERS that can capture carbon emissions and help tackle climate change.

Dr Adams added: “Some of my fellow IBERS’s scientists have created artworks with the printmakers before and have joined in again for this collaboration. A group of printmakers and I met on Borth beach during the summer to take a closer look at what’s on our shore. It was lovely, meeting with other academics, historians and artists.

“Many of the images have been printed on seaweed paper we made ourselves, building on techniques developed during the miscanthus project.”

The exhibition is at Aberystwyth Arts Centre until 8 February.

An accompanying lecture by Professor Saul Purton, President of the British Phycological Society, will take place at 4pm on 6 January in Aberystwyth University’s Hugh Owen Building on Penglais Campus.