Oregon researchers to feed cattle seaweed for climate benefits

What they're doing: Using roughly 20 cows from a herd in Riley (between Bend and Burns), researchers will supplement their diets with Pacific dulse seaweed grown on the Oregon coast.

• They'll then measure changes in carbon dioxide and methane levels in the air above the 100-acre, sagebrush steppe pasture over the course of five years.

Context: Multiple studies have concluded that feeding dried seaweed to cows can actively suppress greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the quality of beef and dairy products.

What they're saying: "This project has the potential to help ranchers more sustainably and efficiently produce beef while also providing an economic benefit to seaweed producers," Juliana Ranches, the project director and professor at OSU, said in a press release.