The Blue Forest Program
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“Kelp forests – underwater forests formed by brown seaweed species – are highly productive ecosystems which harbour some of the highest biodiversity in temperate seas. The Blue Forest program will demonstrate restorative aquaculture as a tool for marine restoration and blue carbon storage.”
Luke Ansell, Head of Operations, Algapelago
The Blue Forest Project is a research program to build evidence of restorative aquaculture as a natural capital solution. It will be delivered and managed by algapelago, a mariculture and biotech company.
The project is a 12 acre offshore site supporting kelp and mussel longlines. Over a three-year period, lines are left to mature and will be monitored for their impact on biodiversity, nutrient uptake and carbon storage.
It will be run purely as a research program, on a non-commercial basis. All results will be released as open-source data to be used in the policy and regulatory frameworks of restorative aquaculture in the UK and beyond. Research will be led by our academic partners Dr. Ian Hendy and Prof. Ana Queiros, with a focus on quantifying i) carbon drawdown, ii) biodiversity uplift, and iii) the productivity and lifecycle of cultivated kelp.
A kelp cultivation licence has been awarded, with shellfish cultivation licence pending. A Kelp blue carbon study was initiated with the Plymouth Marine Lab in December 2022. A consortium of corporate and family office funders has been developed to deliver the project.
Through the Blue Forest, algapelago aim to build empirical evidence on the natural capital benefits of kelp and shellfish aquaculture. The project aims to demonstrate the restorative impact of multi-trophic aquaculture on a degraded seabed habitat. Results will be released as open-source data, which can be used to support emerging NBS credit markets, build awareness of the nature-positive impact of regenerative aquaculture and support the case for OECM (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures) designation.
Revenue Model
Payments for stacked ecosystem service credits – nutrient remediation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity uplift.
Loan or Finance Structure
The Blue Forest is adopting a blended finance approach to deliver this first-of-a-kind project. Algapelago is building a consortium of partners across family office, philanthropic and corporate funding.
Public/Grant Funding
Partner in the MAMBOAR grant project consortium to monitor biodiversity on the offshore site.
Legal Arrangements
Mariculture operator algapelago hold a 25-year licence to farm kelp over a 120ha site.
Parties Involved
Mariculture Operator – algapelago
Research Partners – Plymouth Marine Lab, University of Portsmouth, Cambridge University, Eden Project
Monitoring Partners – PEBL, Seaweed Generation
Environmental Impact
Seaweed and shellfish aquaculture provides a range of ecosystem services including:
- Kelp and shellfish growlines provide habitat for a high abundance of marine invertebrates, and act as a feeding ground and shelter for fish and crustaceans
- Mussel cultivation re-introduces biogenic mussel reef on seabed
- Absorption of excess nutrients
- Blue carbon storage
- Kelp photosynthesis benefits local water quality – oxygenation and buffer against ocean acidification
Social Impact and Engagement
The Blue Forest program will support skilled research and maritime jobs in an isolated coastal community.
Engagement program with local schools to spread awareness of the importance of kelp and shellfish habitat.
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