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FOCUS 2025-2026: AQUAFUNG


In 2025, Open Fung will launch an annual series of thematic projects and programs. Our first focus will be Aquafung - exploring the ways that fungi and water come together. It goes beyond growing a boat of surfboard out of fungi and into the worlds of mycofiltration, biomaterials grown for protected or indigenous lands, marine drones, buoys, floatation devices and more. This focus contains a multitude of stories and allows us to explore and investigate ecology and nature as well as the material possibilities of fungi.  

A running list of Aquafung focused programs,  published texts and events.



AquaFung Workshop, Los Angeles


DATE: April 12, 2025, 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
LOCATION: OXY ARTS, Los Angeles, CA

AquaFung Workshop, Oakland
DATE: February 1, 2025,  1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Port Labs, Oakland, CA


Maritime Testing and Degradation of Mycelium Composite Materials: The Ganoderma lucidum Buoy


Originally Published: May 2016
Re-Published by Open Fung: March 2025In 2015 Hannah Nguyen conducted foundational research on fungal composite materials in aquatic environments while she was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley. At that time, Hannah was a student of the renowned mycologist Tom Bruns, and joined MycoWorks to conduct capstone work to test fungal materials in the diverse fresh and marine waters of California’s Bay Area. Hannah grew a “myco-buoy” with the same form factor as a standard Styrofoam buoy used in commercial applications, sealed them with different organic coatings, and placed them in different conditions to see how they fared.

Read the essay