By growing kelp, you directly:
Detailed map and GPS location
Video about the completed project
Underwater forests are an immensely important ecosystem: they support biodiversity, improve water quality and sequester carbon. Despite their significance for marine life and the fight against climate change, the loss of kelp forests from coastlines worldwide has captured much less of the spotlight on deforestation.
By using a technique called “green gravel” we have found a cost efficient way that makes large-scale marine reforestation possible. It involves growing kelp attached to pebbles in a lab before deploying them at suitable locations in the ocean without the need for divers. Supporting this project will lead to approximately 1m2 of kelp per contribution.
Green gravel is a kelp restoration technique that was recently developed by the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (IMR). It involves seeding pebbles with kelp in a lab, allowing the kelp to grow under optimal conditions and only then deploying them in the ocean. The potential is huge because this technique can overcome many of the challenges facing current kelp restoration methods.
Since pebbles can just be dropped from a boat, large areas could be restored without the need for more costly and time-consuming scuba diving work. What’s more, since the kelp is already attached to a substrate (the pebbles) it may grow well even if the underlying reef is degraded and covered in turf algae.
The world’s shallow coastal areas, where sunlight penetrates, are the cradles of the ocean. Here seaweed forests grow supporting a rich and diverse assemblage of marine fauna and flora by providing highly productive three-dimensional habitats. In addition to reducing the loss of biodiversity in oceans, kelp forests also provide ecosystem services by reversing acidification, an important part of climate change mitigation.
Unfortunately, European seaweed forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Although we lack the data to figure out the actual causes for this decline, these are likely to be important drivers in many areas:
Green gravel is a kelp restoration technique that was recently developed by the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (IMR). It involves seeding pebbles with kelp in a lab, allowing the kelp to grow under optimal conditions and only then deploying them in the ocean. The potential is huge because this technique can overcome many of the challenges facing current kelp restoration methods.
Since pebbles can just be dropped from a boat, large areas could be restored without the need for more costly and time-consuming scuba diving work. What’s more, since the kelp is already attached to a substrate (the pebbles) it may grow well even if the underlying reef is degraded and covered in turf algae. This technique is cheap, simple, and does not require scuba diving, highly trained field workers, or engineered structures. The gravel can be scattered from a boat and can be up-scaled to treat large areas. Green Gravel also represents an exciting avenue to ‘future proof’ restoration efforts. By seeding gravel with resilient species or assemblages, we may be able to enhance the resilience of kelp forests to future disturbance or climate change.
“Green gravel: a novel restoration tool to combat kelp forest decline. ” - Fredriksen, S., Filbee-Dexter, K., Norderhaug, K.M. et al., 2020
“Kelp Restoration Guidebook: Lessons Learned from Kelp Projects Around the World.” - Eger, A.M et al., 2022
We are a social enterprise on a mission to restore nature and fight climate change through our reforestation and rewilding projects. Our team shares a passion for the outdoors and the preservation of our natural world. As such we work with one mission in mind, to restore wild ecosystems, support wildlife and biodiversity and help fight climate change.
Underwater forests are an immensely important ecosystem: they support biodiversity, improve water quality and sequester carbon. Despite their significance for marine life and the fight against climate change, the loss of kelp forests from coastlines worldwide has captured much less of the spotlight on deforestation.
By using a technique called “green gravel” we have found a cost efficient way that makes large-scale marine reforestation possible. It involves growing kelp attached to pebbles in a lab before deploying them at suitable locations in the ocean without the need for divers. Supporting this project will lead to approximately 1m2 of kelp per contribution.
By growing kelp, you directly:
Detailed map and GPS location
Video about the completed project
Green gravel is a kelp restoration technique that was recently developed by the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (IMR). It involves seeding pebbles with kelp in a lab, allowing the kelp to grow under optimal conditions and only then deploying them in the ocean. The potential is huge because this technique can overcome many of the challenges facing current kelp restoration methods.
Since pebbles can just be dropped from a boat, large areas could be restored without the need for more costly and time-consuming scuba diving work. What’s more, since the kelp is already attached to a substrate (the pebbles) it may grow well even if the underlying reef is degraded and covered in turf algae.
The world’s shallow coastal areas, where sunlight penetrates, are the cradles of the ocean. Here seaweed forests grow supporting a rich and diverse assemblage of marine fauna and flora by providing highly productive three-dimensional habitats. In addition to reducing the loss of biodiversity in oceans, kelp forests also provide ecosystem services by reversing acidification, an important part of climate change mitigation.
Unfortunately, European seaweed forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Although we lack the data to figure out the actual causes for this decline, these are likely to be important drivers in many areas:
Green gravel is a kelp restoration technique that was recently developed by the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (IMR). It involves seeding pebbles with kelp in a lab, allowing the kelp to grow under optimal conditions and only then deploying them in the ocean. The potential is huge because this technique can overcome many of the challenges facing current kelp restoration methods.
Since pebbles can just be dropped from a boat, large areas could be restored without the need for more costly and time-consuming scuba diving work. What’s more, since the kelp is already attached to a substrate (the pebbles) it may grow well even if the underlying reef is degraded and covered in turf algae. This technique is cheap, simple, and does not require scuba diving, highly trained field workers, or engineered structures. The gravel can be scattered from a boat and can be up-scaled to treat large areas. Green Gravel also represents an exciting avenue to ‘future proof’ restoration efforts. By seeding gravel with resilient species or assemblages, we may be able to enhance the resilience of kelp forests to future disturbance or climate change.
“Green gravel: a novel restoration tool to combat kelp forest decline. ” - Fredriksen, S., Filbee-Dexter, K., Norderhaug, K.M. et al., 2020
“Kelp Restoration Guidebook: Lessons Learned from Kelp Projects Around the World.” - Eger, A.M et al., 2022
We are a social enterprise on a mission to restore nature and fight climate change through our reforestation and rewilding projects. Our team shares a passion for the outdoors and the preservation of our natural world. As such we work with one mission in mind, to restore wild ecosystems, support wildlife and biodiversity and help fight climate change.
