North Sea Farm 1 Pioneers Commercial-Scale Seaweed Harvest: A Step Towards Carbon Removal and Climate Resilience

Seaweed farmers have made the first-ever harvest at North Sea Farm 1, the world's first commercial-scale seaweed farm, located between wind turbines off the coast of Scheveningen in the Netherlands. The farm was funded by Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund and will provide valuable insights into how seaweed farms can remove carbon from the atmosphere, contribute to climate resilience, and scale the cultivation of seaweed globally. The harvesting process involves a vessel navigating between wind turbines to collect seaweed from nets anchored to the seabed. Researchers will monitor the farm using satellite data and site visits to understand its impact on the marine environment.

The Netherlands-based North Sea Farmers has achieved a significant milestone with the first commercial-scale seaweed harvest at North Sea Farm 1. Located in a field of wind turbines off the coast of Scheveningen, the farm was made possible with €2 million funding from Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund [1].

The harvesting process involved a vessel carefully navigating between wind turbines to collect mature seaweed from four large nets, each measuring 50 metres by 3 metres, securely anchored to the seabed [3]. The farm spans five hectares and provides valuable insights into how seaweed farms can remove carbon from the atmosphere, contribute to climate resilience, and scale the cultivation of seaweed globally [2].

Researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Deltares, and Silvestrum Climate Associates have been monitoring the farm using satellite data and site visits to understand its impact on the marine environment [3]. Professor Ana M Queirós, Plymouth Marine Laboratory's Climate Change Lead, expressed excitement about the project's potential to provide sustainable solutions for climate change and biodiversity conservation [3].

The harvested seaweed can be processed into a wide range of items, including textiles, foods, and wellness products, demonstrating the relevance of commercial seaweed production for European markets. Seaweed's ability to grow without land, fresh water, or fertilizers makes it an attractive alternative to traditional farming methods [3].

North Sea Farmers aims to demonstrate the long-term positive impact of seaweed farms on biodiversity and climate change mitigation through ongoing scientific research [3]. The data collected from this project will help determine upper scaling limits for future seaweed cultivation projects between offshore wind turbines.

References:

[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pioneering-seaweed-harvest-takes-place-in-north-sea-302503802.html
[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pioneering-seaweed-harvest-takes-place-in-north-sea-302503799.html
[3] https://www.northseafarmers.org/news/first-ever-harvest-at-pioneering-north-sea-seaweed-farm-funded-by-amazons-right-now-climate-fund