Land-based seaweed farming in the Baltic Sea.
September 2026
We’ve had quite a few visitors at our cultivation facility recently! Most recently, we welcomed a large group from Folkuniversitetet as part of their industry days. The week before, we had a group of researchers from Lund University come by!
September 2026
Sillens dag (The Day of the Herring) in Simrishamn was filled with a great atmosphere and lots of curious visitors wanting to learn more about what we do! During the afternoon, we also held our first official tour of the new cultivation facility.
August 2026
The facility is starting to take shape! Everything from the seawater intake and connections to the pump house is being built from the ground up. Soon, all that’s missing is the seaweed, then we can get production started!
March 2026
We had a few really fun days in Gothenburg at NSS, where we shared a stand with a great group from the Framtidens fiskehamn project. We served some delicious seaweed pesto and, of course, talked a lot about seaweed!
The company was founded in 2022 with the ambition to develop a new approach to Swedish seaweed cultivation and create the conditions for local production at a larger scale.
Our seaweed is cultivated on land using a continuous flow of natural seawater. This method enables high-density cultivation and stable, year-round production.
Gonçalo founded Souto Ocean Culture in 2022 with a vision of developing sustainable, locally rooted marine food production. Drawing on knowledge and inspiration from innovative aquaculture in Japan, he leads the company’s development and the establishment of the seaweed cultivation of the future in the Baltic Sea.
Mathilda holds a master’s degree in marine science and has a great passion for seaweed and sustainable blue food. At Souto, she leads the development of cultivation processes, from hatchery to full-scale production. With a focus on sustainable and efficient methods, she works to create a stable and scalable cultivation system.
We are based in Simrishamn, in the heart of Österlen. The entire process: from hatchery to cultivation and harvesting, takes place here with us.
The seaweed is cultivated on land, in natural seawater and in free-floating form, using the Japanese germling cluster method.
(Photo: Erik Törner)
Ulva is a nutrient-rich ingredient that is naturally low in fat and high in protein (>20%!).
It also contains a range of important nutrients, including iron, calcium and important amino acids. [Source].
Ulva is known as suji aonori in Japan, where it is one of the most highly valued seaweeds.
Its mild flavour makes it incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed fresh, dried or fried, mixed into spreads and dips, or used as a flavour enhancer and natural source of umami.
We’re always open to new collaborations and exciting projects. In addition to the larger projects below, we’ve also worked closely with Nemo Seafarms, Under Ytan, Tång Tång and Kivik Tång, among others.
2022 - Ongoing
Souto has worked closely with Marint centrum in Simrishamn since the company was founded. Together, we are involved in several different projects, and our lab and hatchery are also located at Marint centrum.
2026 - 2028
Souto is part of an EU project focused on developing new food ingredients and products from cultivated macroalgae. The project explores how seaweed can be processed in an efficient, scalable and sustainable way.
2023 - Ongoing
For several years, Souto has worked closely with Kochi University in Japan and Professor Masanori Hiraoka, who developed the cultivation method we use in our hatchery in Simrishamn.
2024 - 2027
Souto is part of an EU project focused on developing sustainable methods to improve the nutritional value, safety and other properties of cultivated brown and green seaweeds as food ingredients.
2023 - 2025
A two-year project led by Souto together with Marint centrum, focused on developing commercial and sustainable seaweed cultivation in the waters off Skåne. The project was co-funded by Region Skåne.
2023 - Ongoing
Souto has been involved since the start of Folkuniversitetet’s training programme for business developers in the blue food sector. We contribute to the programme’s content and are also part of its steering group. We have also hosted LIA students and regularly share practical knowledge and experience from the blue food sector.