Hope Lies Beneath
07 Mar 2023
WSL teamed up with WSL PURE grantee Hope Zones Foundation, led by WSL Big Wave surfer João Macedo, and SeaForester to advance seaforestation in Portugal. They will be working throughout the year to enhance kelp resources in the coastal area of Nazaré and Peniche for the benefits of nature and society.
Kelp forests are highly productive ecosystems that contribute to enhancing local biodiversity, absorb CO2 and provide potential avenues for alternative food systems. By using native kelp species (Laminaria ochroleuca), Hope Zones and SeaForester will be promoting the recovery of ecosystems currently in decline, resulting in many ecological and social benefits for the local community that can be applied globally by coastal communities around the world.
For the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Corona, We Are One Ocean teamed up with Hope Zones Foundation and SeaForester to host a kelp restoration workshop. Participants built deployment structures to plant kelp and engaged with youth participants from Peniche Surf Clube in an ocean literacy session with Monitoramento Mirim Costeiro. - WSL / MANEL GAEDA
For the MEO Pro Portugal, WSL teamed up with Hope Zones Foundation and SeaForester to build deployment structures to plant kelp while engaging youth participants from Peniche Surf Clube in an ocean literacy session with Monitoramento Mirim Costeiro. With the WSL PURE grant these groups will be working together to plant, monitor, research and share the benefits of seaweed reforestation projects – an inspiration for other coastlines globally.
Kanoa Igarashi alongside Shiseido volunteers team up to build deployment structures with advice from Jan Verbeek, Scientific Manager at SeaForester.- WSL / MANEL GAEDA
Link to original article: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/512754/hope-lies-beneath