Kelp Forest Foundation - filling the gap in the science around cultivated kelp forest
Kelp Forest Foundation logo
Kelp Forest Foundation
Giant kelp is drastically understudied given the benefits it can deliver. The promise of cultivated kelp and its ecosystem services need to be quantified and unlocked to speed up the expansion of kelp cultivation at scale. This will help mitigate climate change and create sustainable products which will displace the current more environmentally damaging products.
The Kelp Forest Foundation was set up to help address the gap in science and knowledge around giant kelp forests’ ecosystem services – and to ensure this new knowledge is publicly available to companies, governments, regulators, not-for-profits, academics, and other stakeholders in order to accelerate the awareness and application of cultivated kelp forests as a powerful nature-based solution.
The initial research will be undertaken in and around the Kelp Blue' s cultivated offshore kelp forests in Namibia but later on it will continue in other global locations.
The foundation will be adding to the research done by other organizations such as Oceans 2050 and Bigelow Laboratory. KFF will sponsor MSc's and PhD's from Namiban universities such as UNAM and NUST and is working with international universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Portsmouth, Utrecht university to create carbon pathway models and co-supervise students.
It is important to prioritize the most important questions first and focus resources towards answering them.
Accessing ocean-based technology to collect the relevant data which is both user-friendly and affordable can be challenging.
Shows millions of Macrocystis gametophyte cells self-propagating. They remain vegetative until the environment is changed to turn them fertile, producing sporophytes. This is enough to seed hundreds of kilometers of Macrocystis farm.
Hortimare
Hortimare, a Dutch-based company, is one of the few companies in the world specialising in the genetics, breeding and propagating of seaweed. Hortimare works with Kelp Blue to create starting material, increase yield and research on best growing techiniques of the Macrocystis pyrifera specie.
Holtimare has a state-of- the art lab in The Netherlands as well as a highly trained experienced team which specializes in seaweed breeding and propagating. Hortimare is an external technical consultant that is helping Kelp Blue set up and develop a hatchery in Namibia and to train a local workforce to run it. They also work together with Kelp Blue in sourcing, collecting and cultivation methods. They are also co-creating a giant kelp seedbank for future use.
The breeding of kelp seedlings is an essential first step in the cultivation of seaweed. There is no public Macrocystis seed bank so Kelp Blue has had to work with partners around the world to sustainably collect spores from wild kelp beds and transport them back to The Netherlands where Hortimare then optimizes Kelp Blue's hatchery system and seeding technique to get to predictable and consistent yield. They share all the information that is needed to make the farm successful. This as a win-win for both parties. Hortimare gets more and more reliable data and knowledge to be able to develop a certain standard and Kelp Blue can translate their findings to predictability of operation.
Sustainably sourcing material, a breeding programme and a property set up hatchery are the cornerstone of any seweed farmer's project.
Supporting the formulation of institutional recommendations at regional scale
Online regional meeting of National Focal Points of the Western Mediterranean to define the regional roadmap on MSP and sustainable blue economy.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Themes of the regional roadmap on MSP and sustainable blue economy.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
This Building Block aimed to develop a regional roadmap on MSP and sustainable blue economy agreed by the seven beneficiary countries, as well as neighboring countries involved in another regional activity focused on blue economy (WestMED Initiative): Algeria, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Libya, Portugal and Mauritania. National Focal Points were invited to provide recommendations according to their relevance to five specific themes; these recommendations were then compiled in a survey and prioritized by the National Focal Points and other National Experts. The most voted recommendations were selected and rephrased (when necessary) to compose the regional roadmap.
Increasing relevance of MSP and sustainable blue economy in the national, regional and international agendas
Pre-existing collaboration between governmental institutions at national and regional levels
Building capacity: Before proposing regional meetings, it is important to provide capacity building at national level so that national representatives are better prepared for regional discussions
Building cooperation: Before proposing an activity to develop regional recommendations, it is important to organize prior meetings at regional level so that national representatives can meet and get used to working with each other
Showcasing key results through a simplified and interactive storytelling tool
Storytelling tool about the Western Mediterranean: tab about the pilot project.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Storytelling tool about the Western Mediterranean: tab about activities and pressures.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Storytelling tool about the Western Mediterranean: tab about activities and pressures.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Storytelling tool about the Western Mediterranean: tab about synergies and conflicts.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Storytelling tool about the Western Mediterranean: tab about future scenarios.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
This Building Block aimed to develop a multilingual storytelling tool to showcase both existing conditions and scenarios for the pilot in the Western Mediterranean. The objective was to present the data and information in a simplified and interactive way, and as such to turn complex concepts into notions easily understood by all stakeholders.
Professionals with previous experience in developing an online storytelling tool with spatial data visualization
Technical reports with the necessary data and information published in advance
Teamwork: Those involved in the development of the reports need to work in close collaboration with those responsible for developing the tool to ensure that the key results are properly selected and displayed
Structure: Organize the story through different themes, titles, taglines and sections
Be concise: Limit the size of the texts to the key messages. If the user is interested in learning more, reports with the full information should be available
Technical terms: Whenever possible, avoid using difficult and/or technical language (including acronyms) that might be incomprehensible for a wider audience. If it cannot be avoided, better to add the meaning
Responsive web tool: Depending on the type and format of the content, it might be difficult to ensure that the tool is sufficiently responsive across different internet browsers, resolutions and electronic devices
Beta version: It is recommended to develop a beta version (pre-release) and then ask some users to play with it before the launch
Building scenarios for MSP and sustainable blue economy
Trend scenario of different activities already in place in the Western Mediterranean.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Example of MSP scenario (conservationist) developed for the Western Mediterranean, with a focus on the western part and Strait of Gibraltar.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
This Building Block aimed to analyze potential future conditions of the Western Mediterranean in order to build three scenarios by 2030: trend scenario; conservationist scenario; and integrated scenario. The developed scenarios DO NOT represent official proposals for the area; instead, they are a starting point for a multi-sectoral and cross-border dialogue about the desired future. A technical report was developed and made publicly available.
Existing regional publications on maritime sectors trends
Existing regional policies about MSP or blue economy covering at least some of the beneficiary countries
Potential areas of development: Identify them based on literature to the extent possible, while using “real-life logic” when it does not exist.
Transparency: Justify the goals and assumptions of each scenario, as well as how they were developed. If they are not official proposals, make it clear whenever presenting the scenarios in order to avoid any issue, such as a governmental stakeholder upset because it was not involved in the process
How to use: Develop some guidelines with suggestions on how to use and adapt the scenarios during dialogue and negotiation with stakeholders at national and regional levels
Analyzing current conditions of the marine environment and maritime uses
Marine conservation and protection measures in the Western Mediterranean.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Example of sectoral spatial data relevant for MSP and sustainable blue economy: location of aquaculture farms (Source: EMODnet, adapted by IOC-UNESCO from national sources).
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Example of sectoral statistical data relevant for MSP and sustainable blue economy: annual aquaculture production in 2018 (Source: adapted from FAO, 2020).
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
Cumulative uses of main sectors identified in the Western Mediterranean.
MSPglobal, IOC-UNESCO
This Building Block aimed to analyze the current conditions of the Western Mediterranean. Policies, data and information on the marine environmental and main maritime uses were analyzed to identify use-use and use-nature conflicts and compatibilities, resulting in the development of a technical report publicly available. Spatial data was compiled to develop the maps about the different uses.
Access to public data sources, especially European and international ones
Data from previous projects developed in the region
At least one member of the team with expertise in spatial data available during the whole initiative in case additional analysis is necessary
Data providers: If the data is not publicly available, care should be appointed when choosing the right contact person (committed and with interest in the project) to request it
Lack of data: Some institutions might not be willing to share data, so it is important to be transparent and acknowledge data gaps
