EEA Innovation Grant awarded to SeaForester
30 Jan 2021
SeaForester has received the EEA Innovation Grant to establish itself as an organization in Portugal with expertise in a field that is still in its infancy, allowing it to create a strong position early in the emerging seaweed restoration industry.
The EEA SeaForester project responds to the alarming disappearance of seaweed forests around the world, aiming to restore these ecosystems and thereby improve ocean health. A healthy ocean with the capacity to support more marine life is a key factor for a sustainable blue economy that will benefit any coastal local authority or maritime business. Through a combination of scientific research, citizen science and community engagement, this project will provide the first step towards enhancing the health and value of Cascais' blue front yard.
Information boards about seaweeds at beaches of Cascais
Information boards about seaweeds at beaches of Cascais
The project will deliver an innovative mix of services and know-how in the emerging field of seaweed restoration, which holds great potential for blue growth in terms of potential future carbon offsetting, mitigating climate change and increasing ecosystem services in the ocean and along coastlines. Any local authority, country or business with a stake in the health of the ocean has an interest in the services offered by SeaForester.
To highlight the beneficial elements of seaweed restoration, the project will include the municipality of Cascais, which has become one of the first local councils with a coastline to adopt such a restoration feasibility study.