November 2023: BluGreens, a sustainable seaweed and harvesting small enterprise, has successfully installed seaweed on marine assets within Cattewater Harbour.
This pilot study, the first of its kind for the Cattewater, aims to examine how marine assets can be repurposed to provide a new farming solution for seaweed whilst also providing additional functionality during the winter months of, potentially dormant, assets such as mooring chains etc.
Seaweed is increasingly being used within the UK for products including cosmetics, nutritional supplements and animal feed. This pilot project aims to demonstrate that seaweed farming can improve biodiversity, nutrient reduction and carbon absorption, whilst also supporting a growing industry and jobs for the future for coastal communities.
BluGreens plan to build collaborative and strong partnerships as part of this project and are keen to assess future opportunities for seaweed farming including deployment around floating offshore wind sites.
CHC continues to support BluGreens, an SME that hopes to provide sustainable solutions to producing seaweed-based fertilisers. Blugreens are now in their second year of trials. In the winter of 2023/2024, a proof-of-concept pilot study investigating the potential of utilising unused harbour assets to grow seaweed between the months of October to May. Following the initial study, a subsequent project is now underway, building on the previous findings and evaluating the potential water quality improvements associated with combining seaweed farming and traditional harbour infrastructure that is unused out of season.