Pioneering Seaweed Harvest Takes Place In North Sea

(MENAFN- PR Newswire) The harvest provides valuable insights to researchers looking into how seaweed farms could remove carbon from the atmosphere, contributing to climate resilience, and how to scale the cultivation of seaweed globally. Seaweed farms could also promote biodiversity and reduce agricultural pressure on land.

"The inaugural harvest of North Sea Farm 1 is a significant moment," said Eva Faict, Amazon Netherlands and Belgium country manager. "Together with North Sea Farmers, we have proven that cultivated seaweed farming among offshore wind turbines is a viable commercial concept."

By locating the farm between offshore wind turbines-a world first for a commercial-scale seaweed farm-North Sea Farmers found a way of securing physical space for the farm away from maritime traffic.

"Through ongoing scientific research, we aim to demonstrate whether farms like this can have a positive long-term impact on both biodiversity and climate change mitigation," said Eef Brouwers, Managing Director of North Sea Farmers. "At the same time, we're proving that seaweed production within an existing offshore infrastructure is possible at a commercial scale."

The harvesting process at North Sea Farm 1-spanning five hectares of the 'Hollandse Kust Zuid' wind farm-involves the use of a vessel carefully navigating between wind turbines, collecting seaweed from nets anchored to the seabed.

Plymouth Marine Laboratory , Deltares and Silvestrum Climate Associates have been monitoring the farm using satellite data, as well as site visits, to understand upper scaling limits for future projects.

Professor Ana M Queirós, Plymouth Marine Laboratory's Climate Change Lead, said: "We're very excited to understand the effects of the seaweed farm on the immediate and surrounding marine environment. Our analysis will follow the carbon from the seawater into the seaweed and the environment, and any effects on biodiversity.

"It's vital projects like this are underpinned with rigorous scientific evidence, particularly given the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis and the need to find scalable mitigation measures that produce genuinely beneficial and sustainable outcomes."

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