Wando County Governor, Shin Woo-cheol, recently visited NASA and ARPA-E in the U.S. to promote seaweed as a health and future food source, and to discuss seaweed blue carbon certification and research. NASA has shown interest in Wando County, the largest seaweed producer in Korea, due to its eco-friendly seaweed farming conditions. The county is seeking to have seaweed recognized as blue carbon to contribute to carbon neutrality. ARPA-E is planning an international research project with Wando-gun to develop automated offshore seaweed farming technology, with the goal of mass-producing biomass and discovering blue carbon. Wando County plans to use the seaweed produced for marine bio-industry materials and future energy sources.