Demonstration of large scale seaweed cultivation at open sea and the positive effects thereof on the ocean (AlgaeDemo)

AlgaeDemo was a three-year project funded by the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF), aimed at demonstrating the economic and environmental viability of seaweed cultivation in Europe, by bringing it to a commercial scale.

Application/relevance: The project demonstrated that the deployment, operation, and testing of a large-scale seaweed farm, which includes automated seeding, monitoring, and harvesting in the Oosterschelde (NL), is not only a viable economic model, but also strengthens Europe’s Blue Economy. AlgaeDemo also illustrated the positive ecological effects of large-scale seaweed farming, which captures CO2, phosphates and nitrates, thus contributing to more healthy oceans. The project can be replicated in other regions where open water seaweed cultivation is possible, such as the west coast of France, the UK, or Belgium.