To Mama Earth, with love.

We wish Earth Day wasn't necessary. The gratitude shouldn't be annual, it should be constant. But it's easy to take for granted what has always been there, quietly doing its job. So today we stop, look around, and say thank you. To the ocean especially. To the seaweed. To the cold, mineral-rich water that makes everything we do possible.

For billions of years this little blue planet has been offering us the critical biodiversity and atmosphere that we need to survive. And when we take a second to look back, we learn that this fragile, irreplaceable planet that somehow grew an ocean, figured out oxygen, and made seaweed.

Maris Dae was built on the science of the sea. We learned that our seas contain many precious minerals, ancient bioactive life forms (aka algae), and more importantly, are the biggest carbon sinks and oxygen generators of anything we have on earth.

 

First: A word about seaweed.

Seaweed is one of the oldest life forms on Earth — it predates the dinosaurs. It has quietly been running one of the planet's most important systems for hundreds of millions of years, and most of us walk right past it on the beach without a second thought.

Here's what it's actually doing:

•       It's one of the world's largest carbon sinks, absorbing significant amounts of CO₂ and producing a substantial share of our oxygen

•       It releases minerals and nutrients back into the water, sustaining entire marine ecosystems

•       It grows faster and more efficiently than any plant on Earth, without fresh water, without fertilizer, without pesticides

•       It releases bioactive compounds that support resilience in ecosystems, and our bodies

•       It helps restore damaged marine environments by replenishing nutrients and stabilizing habitats

 

And for us? Just being near the ocean has been shown to lower stress hormones, boost mood, and reduce inflammation. Cold water immersion can even trigger endorphins and improve overall wellbeing.

I guess seaweed is not so slimy after all.

Where our seaweed comes from.

We work exclusively with two species native to the BC coast: Mazzaella Japonica (red sea algae) and bull kelp. Both are wild to these waters. Both are full of complex polysaccharides, minerals and amino acids that make them healthy for our bodies and planet.

Our red algae is sourced from sea wrack, naturally dislodged seaweed that comes in with the tide. Nothing is cut, nothing is pulled. We collect what the ocean freely releases. Zero disruption to the ocean floor, zero extraction footprint.

Our bull kelp is farmed by Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds, a BC-based seaweed farm operating in partnership with Ocean Wise and The Nature Conservancy. Farmed seaweed actively supports marine ecosystems by absorbing carbon and nitrogen from the water. Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds performs regenerative seaweed farming, and ensures that with every harvest, they are also restoring the marine ecosystem by selectively harvesting and leaving kelp forests behind.

Small batch. Local supply chain. Made in Canada.

Every Maris Dae product is made in small batches in our Vancouver, Canada lab. Our supply chain is as short and traceable as we can make it.

Small batch matters. It means we control quality at every step, reducing our GHG emissions on our supply chain, it means we're not overproducing and we can evolve and innovate more efficiently.

We formulated our products with a team of biochemists and a naturopathic doctor. The result is products that don’t just feel good, they're clinically grounded.

We give back 1% to the planet.

We are a proud member of 1% for the Planet which means 1% of every sale goes directly to environmental nonprofits.

This year, we're supporting the Surfrider Foundation Canada.

Surfrider Foundation Canada is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the ocean, beaches and waves, for all people. They focus on clean water, plastic reduction, coasts and climate, ocean protection and beach access. 

If you've ever stood at the edge of the ocean, you know that coastlines are not a backdrop. They're a living system, critical to our biodiversity, oxygen production and health. Protecting the ocean is part of preserving our precious ecosystem on Earth.

If we protect the ocean, we protect everything.

So. What does all of this add up to?

Taking a long-term, holistic approach to our business requires that we invest in protecting the ocean and its unique biodiversity. Seaweed has proven to be a unique and critical baseline supporter of ocean health, in addition to its support of our human skin and gut health.

Our mission is to connect you all with the power of the ocean, to make conscious choices in the development of our business, and to fuel and fund partners who can continue to protect and preserve our planet.

We're not perfect. We're small. We're still building. But we are intentional about where we source, how we make things, and what we contribute.

Earth Day, for us, isn't a campaign. It's a reminder of our goal to connect people with nature.

Happy Earth Day. Seize the Dae.

Sam + the Maris Dae team