Remediation and Innovation in Seaweed and Shellfish Aquaculture

Marine Conservation Society

The ocean covers over 70% of our planet. It is the source of more than half the oxygen we breathe and absorbs nearly a third of our carbon emissions, yet today it’s in poor health due to human activity. Marine Conservation Society are determined to change this, working with communities, businesses and governments.

For more than 30 years, we’ve been the voice of the sea, defending our coastal habitats and species. For a cleaner ocean, we work to prevent and clean up marine litter and pollution, using science to track the health of our waters. For a better-protected ocean, we secure spaces where species and habitats can recover; only a sea full of life can absorb carbon and tackle climate change. For a healthier ocean, we promote sustainable fishing to minimise harm caused by harvesting resources, and empower the public to make better seafood-buying choices.

Our work to date has resulted in cleaner beaches across the UK; a vast body of evidence on marine litter that informs regulation and conservation plans; bans on single-use plastic items; legislation to better manage fisheries and marine protected areas; and a transformed awareness among consumers and businesses of the need to choose sustainable seafood, as a result of our Good Fish Guide.

We are grateful for the continued support of Levine Family Foundation towards our follow-on seaweed project, Remediation and Innovation in Seaweed and Shellfish Aquaculture. Building on the research from our first-year of seaweed research, this year we will explore the potential for seaweed and shellfish to provide ecosystem services by sequestrating nutrients from surrounding waters. We will then apply this research to explore the potential to support industry to develop new markets for these products. Our overall aim it is encourage the development of commercially viable ecosystem-based aquaculture.