The Green Gravel Production System
Kelp forests are recognized as one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. Due to warming ocean temperatures, pollution and other human activities, these critical marine habitats are experiencing a global decline.
The underlying theme of COP15 held in Montreal last December was that
we only have seven years to halt and reverse biodiversity loss
. Through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) funding program, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will be testing a solution to help restore kelp forests.
In 2020, a kelp restoration method called ‘green gravel’ was published in
Nature Scientific Reports by Fredriksen et al
, offering a path forward for large-scale kelp restoration projects. This method inoculates (or seeds) natural substrates such as gravel with kelp spores in a controlled environment or in laboratory conditions. Growth is monitored in the nursery until the kelp is mature enough to be outplanted in a marine environment with the intention of creating a new kelp forest.
In the spring of 2021, Cascadia Seaweed ran a pilot study exploring and testing the green gravel method. As
the largest vertically integrated ocean kelp cultivator in Canada, Cascadia Seaweed
is uniquely positioned to leverage its existing scientific knowledge and engineering capabilities to commercialize this exciting technology.
“Green gravel is a promising kelp restoration method which has gained significant international attention. As kelp deforestation continues, immediate action is required to mitigate further kelp declines and look towards methods that can help bolster existing kelp ecosystems. Cascadia Seaweed has the opportunity to advance this technology and help green gravel meet its full potential,”
says Dr. Jennifer Clark, Chief Scientist at Cascadia Seaweed.
Cascadia Seaweed will deliver a self-contained, modular Green Gravel Production System (GGPS) for testing at NRC’s Marine Research Station in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia during the summer of 2023, complete with electrical and plumbing systems, equipment, protocols, and training optimized for reforesting
Saccharina latissima
(Sugar kelp). The technology and protocols can also be modified for other kelp species.
