Organic Sea Vegetables?

I've been wondering if there is such a thing as an "organic" sea veggie— and it turns out that there is! In 1992 Maine Coast Sea Vegetables was the first processor world-wide to receive organic certification for its sea veggie harvesting and handling procedures by the Organic Crop Improvement Association International (OCIA). What does being certified organic actually mean? Maine Coast Sea Vegetables answers that question on their site:

This means that each harvester must monitor their beds for sustainability. They must keep their freshly picked plants clear of possible contaminants throughout the harvest transport, drying and packing process. They are randomly inspected to insure compliance. We also test plants for contaminants that are water born, such as heavy metals, PCBs, herbicides, pesticides, E. coli, yeasts and molds.

Another site I found mentioned this in relation to what the organic certification means:

seaweed harvesting waters and sediment must be free of "significant contamination from residential, municipal, commercial, or industrial waste, emissions, tailings or affluent [sic]." They cannot be within twenty miles of a nuclear facility or three miles of an industrial or sewage discharge.

Some of the sites, like Emerald Cove Sea Vegetables had a few products that were certified organic by the Quality Assurance International (QAI). I had a hard time finding any official documentation about specifics on either of these certification organizations' sites. Stay tuned on that topic...