[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/11232\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E On offshore wind farms, seafood production may be a breeze\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOff the coasts of Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands dozens of wind farms whir away, helping Europe switch to renewable energy from fossil fuels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome of those wind farms are also helping Europe do something few people might imagine: grow seafood. The activity represents a promising new approach to tapping natural resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBusiness as unusual\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled \u201cmultiuse\u201d, it involves the sharing of offshore space and is a big departure from the usual idea of exclusive operating rights.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Traditionally, most things are done separately,\u2019 said Alex Ziemba, a researcher at Deltares, a Dutch institute specialised in water and subsurface. \u2018If you want a wind farm, you put it over there. If people want to go fishing, they go over there. You chop everything up into a nice marine spatial plan and everyone has their own little areas.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZiemba co-led a research project that received EU funding to challenge such thinking by exploring the prospects for sharing offshore sites \u2013 a step that will help pave the way for legal questions about co-ownership to be tackled and for possible new jobs to be created.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The key spot for an offshore wind farm \u2013 with optimal wind conditions and siting \u2013 might also overlap with a great spot for aquaculture,\u2019 he said. \u2018If they\u2019re not combined, only one can use this optimal piece of sea.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/862915\u0022\u003EUNITED\u003C\/a\u003E, the project wrapped up on 31 December 2023 after four years. It grew mussels, oysters and seaweed among the turbines of three wind farms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake way\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile oceans and seas cover 70% of the Earth, the room for commercial development in them is far from unlimited. This is especially so in Europe, the second-smallest continent in the world after Australia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe key spot for an offshore wind farm \u2013 with optimal wind conditions and siting \u2013 might also overlap with a great spot for aquaculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EAlex Ziemba, UNITED\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Space is becoming an increasing problem,\u2019 said Dr \u00d8ivind Bergh, a senior scientist at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. \u2018If you look at a map of Europe and the marine areas for the different countries, quite a lot of countries have very limited space.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from generating wind energy, countries and businesses have plenty of reasons to look offshore for other economic opportunities. Deploying\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/climate-change-floating-farm-agriculture-india-netherlands-d09831ec98390ef51f9464e28b357bd6\u0022\u003Efloating farms\u003C\/a\u003E for livestock and crops as well as growing seafood are further examples.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen practicalities like easy access from a port are taken into account, the prime offshore locations for different industries can often overlap, according to Ziemba.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNITED researchers grew the seafood on nets suspended from lines, which\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;strung out several metres below the water surface to shield them from powerful waves. The foods grown included blue mussels and various types of seaweed, sometimes in combination with the restoration of oyster beds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile no direct connection existed between the aquaculture systems and the surrounding wind turbines, the coexistence represented a valuable sharing of\u0026nbsp;premium economic space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the Dutch test site 12 kilometres from the coast, the nets were home to seaweed. The Belgian site hosted flat oysters as well as seaweed. And the German lines were used to cultivate blue mussels and seaweed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYoung mussels, oysters and seaweed plants were added to the nets just before they were deployed. The seafood and nets were then monitored via cameras, sensors and occasional boat trips.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMussels and oysters can take around two years to reach market size, while seaweed can be harvested more frequently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting yields were comparable to those in calmer nearshore waters and away from other infrastructure, according to Ziemba.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUNITED also collected data on growth rates. That should allow the researchers to model the potential growth rates of larger-scale mussel, oyster and seaweed aquaculture in future wind farms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarket openings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBergh at the Bergen-based Institute of Marine Research is the scientific head of another EU-funded research project identifying opportunities in the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhereas UNITED mainly involved demonstrating whether combining wind farms and aquaculture was workable, Bergh\u2019s project is more focused on the actual seafood products.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENamed\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101094065\u0022\u003EOLAMUR\u003C\/a\u003E, it is installing mussel and seaweed aquaculture systems among wind turbines in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea and the German zone of the North Sea.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative began in January 2023 and is due to run until the end of 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003ESpace is becoming an increasing problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr \u00d8ivind Bergh, OLAMUR\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne demonstration site is in the Danish part of the Kriegers Flak wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This is one of the largest offshore wind sites in Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOLAMUR builds on the work of earlier, smaller projects that focused on the engineering challenges of placing aquaculture systems in wind farms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team will study the growth rates and yields of mussels and seaweed as well as their quality. This will involve assessing their nutrient profiles and checking for harmful contaminants to ensure marketability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond sushi\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe market for seaweed is growing as it finds a role in everything from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research-and-innovation\/en\/horizon-magazine\/butter-baths-seaweeds-potential-being-tapped-europe\u0022\u003Efoods and feed\u003C\/a\u003E to packaging and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research-and-innovation\/en\/horizon-magazine\/miniature-green-superhero-helping-fight-bowel-disease\u0022\u003Emedicine\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, large-scale seaweed farming could help clean up Europe\u2019s seawater.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the Baltic and North seas, dead zones have formed as a result of contamination caused by the run-off of nitrates and phosphorus from agriculture.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeaweed feeds on these inorganic nutrients, removing them from the water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Those excess nutrients can be transformed from a problem to a resource if you cultivate seaweed,\u2019 Bergh said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the EU committed to protecting at least 30% of its seas by 2030, seaweed can play an even bigger role by reducing agricultural pollution in such places as the Baltic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAny industry can be hesitant about the idea of introducing new activities into ongoing operations and associated risks can never be eliminated altogether, according to Ziemba of UNITED.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said that, because wind-energy companies currently don\u2019t usually share space, they worry about other infrastructure in the area damaging their turbines and, by extension, disrupting electricity generation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the event of a storm, for example, a buoy or longline might break free from its anchor and damage a turbine or cause it to stop operating during a recovery operation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018They need their turbines to operate as often as possible and for nothing to be damaged,\u2019 Ziemba said. \u2018But there are clear benefits to combining activities and some operators are excited about the prospect of doing so.\u2019 \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBottom-line benefits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA multiuse approach could be a win-win one for all concerned, according to Bergh.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith optimal offshore space becoming tight, domestic permitting procedures often being slow and the EU seeking to ramp up renewables production, developers of a planned wind farm that includes a co-use component could find it easier to get a licence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond that, some clear-cut operational benefits are possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, wind farms and aquaculture producers could cut costs by sharing boats as well as sensors used on vessels, buoys and turbines to monitor setups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, profitability will determine whether multiuse offshore locations emerge on more than an experimental basis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNITED team is already pursuing a follow-up project in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to explore whether aquaculture on wind farms is commercially viable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018People have to be able to make money from doing it for it to be a business,\u2019 Ziemba said. \u2018Otherwise this won\u2019t take off on its own.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWatch the video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/europa.eu\/webtools\/crs\/iframe\/?oriurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FRNOmSHbincI\u0022 title=\u0022YouTube video player\u0022 width=\u0022560\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-cadyclhmohjfcdecdqdqcfnqzqotwdv3eukucsdh7co\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-cadyClHMOhJFCDEcdqdqCfnqzQoTWdv3eUKUCSDh7co\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]