Page 94 - Livre_MOW2021_EN

92 | BLUE INNOVATIONS

KELP AND CO 2
Underwater forests

for a blue tomorrow

Kelp Blue and its foundation encourage the As demonstrated by Kelp Blue, the ecosystem ser-

creation of giant kelp forests, a true climate vices offered by kelp forests (also known as wrack)
are priceless: this giant seaweed captures huge
solution and blue economy model. quantities of CO like no other ecosystem, is home
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to numerous species and encourages fish popula-
tions, reduces acid levels in the water, filters excess
nitrogen and phosphorous... These underwater fo-
rests can reach more than 40 metres in height. They
grow along the coast in waters not exceeding 20°C,
and therefore they are particularly sensitive to glo-
bal warming. A trend which their farming could
PROFILE help to reverse, thus helping to make the oceans
healthier. “Kelp farming is a natural solution to cli-
mate change, and helps to combat hunger, pollu-
The Kelp Forest Foundation tion, biodiversity loss and poverty”, explained Da-
■ spreads knowledge on the benefits of kelp niel Hooft, the company’s director, during Monaco
forests and helps to create the associated Ocean Week.
blue carbon credits;
■ creates a bank of Macrocystis pyrifera seeds
using environmentally-friendly research
vessels; A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC
■ raises public awareness of the ecosystem ALTERNATIVE
benefits of kelp forests.
The Kelp Blue team championed this farming me-
thod, which does not require earth or freshwater,
fertiliser or pesticides, and does not generate any
waste. Only the tops of the kelp are gathered, a
INNOVATION material which offers numerous opportunities: sus-
tainable food products, fertilisers, pharmaceutical
products and clothing fibres. This fledgling solution
The objective of Kelp Blue: To plant huge kelp meets several United Nations Sustainable Develop-
forests in target areas across the globe, which could ment Goals. Presented during the conference, the
absorb 0.5 gigatonnes of CO per year in 2050, future Kelp Blue pilot farm will be opened this sum-
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equivalent to the CO emissions of the Netherlands. mer off the coast of Namibia, whose government
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supports this blue economy project. By 2029, 800
hectares of farm should capture 200,000 tonnes of
CO and create around one thousand jobs.
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