“We geared up, squeezing into freediving wetsuits, and then we jumped in into the four-degree water,” says Dagny-Elise Anastassiou, Sustainability Manager at Ava Ocean, which is leading the multi-partner Ocean Green project around Tromsø.


Guided by Delphin Ruche from Wild Lab Projects, Anastassiou was in the water with the Ava Ocean technical development team led by Bjørn Roppen and engineer Terje Stokkavåg, to see not only the urchin barrens that Ocean Green is seeking to drive out, but also the creeping success of existing kelp restoration efforts.


Norway has seen some 80% of its kelp forests disappear over the last half century – a problem replicated around the world as these essential habitats are lost to changes in ocean environments. Around Tromsø, an explosion of native sea urchins that eat the kelp has created the ‘urchin barrens’ that Ocean Green is seeking to restore.

“On one side of the pier, there’s just all these urchins,” explains Anastassiou. “Then we swim around the corner and it’s almost completely restored. It was really beautiful, really colourful.” This restoration has been done by hand, taking the not-for-profit organization Wild Lab Projects many weeks and many volunteers to clear this one small area.

Wild Lab projects is part of the Ocean Green team and brings to the mix a focus on citizen science. Anastassiou and the team got to experience firsthand just how hard it is to stem the spread of these prolific sea urchins that are responsible for the widespread decimation of kelp forests around northern Norway.

“We were given hammers, and Delphin said, Have at it! Try to kill a few,” says Anastassiou. “You see how hard it is to remove these urchins – I was lucky to do maybe three or four in one breath. Meanwhile, I was thinking about how many thousands there were just around the jetty.”


In recognition of not just the need to restore the kelp forests but also the economic potential of the harvested urchins, the Ocean Green project won 47 million NOK in Green Platform funding from the Norwegian government last year. Now in the early stages, the project is set to run for at least three years.
Anastassiou explains the next steps.


“This trip highlighted how a one-size fits all approach won’t work,” she says. “When you look out at a fjord it’s hard to appreciate just how varied the seabed is. Being able to come up with a solution that can work across large, flat areas as well as small, dense, rocky areas is going to be a challenge. We also need a solution that can handle all the elements: we're on the Norwegian coast where you've got proper, natural elements that you're fighting against.”


This is also about balance. “These urchins are not alien and we need to harvest them without damaging anything else,” continues Anastassiou. “These are fragile ecosystems: you don’t want something too industrial but you need to be effective too. There are a lot of things at play.”


This is where the Ava Ocean technology comes in. The lead partner on the project made headlines when its patented, gentle harvesting solution saw it successfully petition to have the Barents Sea scallop fishery reopened after 30 years. That technology is now being adapted to harvest urchins instead – and Anastassiou reiterates the need for multiple solutions.


“Not only are we making technology for large-scale restoration, we are also designing something that locals, that citizen scientists, can use,” she explains. “We want something handheld but that is more effective than freediving with a hammer.”


Ava Ocean’s engineers get familiar with the urchin problem and challenge ahead during trip to Tromsø.

Ocean Green project kicks off below the surface in Tromsø

The project aims to develop a sustainable value chain through restorative harvesting, developing novel products of the harvested sea urchins which pose a serious threat to coastal ecosystems in Norway and many other locations worldwide.


Building upon Ava Ocean's revolutionary seabed harvesting gear, already successfully employed in Arctic scallop fishing in the Barents Sea and recognized as the only one of its kind globally, the patented technology will now be adapted for effective yet gentle harvesting of sea urchins.

Dagny-Elise Anastassiou, Sustainability Manager at Ava Ocean, states, "Through the Ocean Green project, we intend to showcase how our innovative seabed harvesting technology can play a crucial role in the restoration of kelp forests. By employing our unique harvesting system, we can address the challenges posed by invasive sea urchins and explore new avenues for utilizing these resources sustainably."


Green Platform to drive green transition in Norwegian industry


The Green Platform, supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries and jointly administered by the Norwegian Research Council, Innovation Norway, and Siva, has allocated a total of NOK 573 million in this year's call for projects aimed at driving green transition initiatives.


Minister of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries Jan Christian Vestre emphasizes the importance of the Green Platform's support in advancing sustainable practices, stating, "Green Platform's goal is to accelerate green transition in business. The substantial support we provide to these impactful projects is a vital contribution to the government's objectives for green transition and economic growth."


Ocean Green Consortium: A Collaborative Effort for Sustainable Impact


Ava Ocean leads the Ocean Green project consortium, which includes key partners such as Wild Lab Projects, NIBIO, NIVA, Akvaplan Niva, Hofseth Biocare, Across Nature and Wandering Owl. Together, they represent a strategic collaboration between industry and research environments, working toward the ambitious goals of the project.


"We are thrilled that the Green Platform has entrusted us and our esteemed partners with the responsibility to embark on this exciting journey. The Ocean Green project potential extends beyond Norway's borders, offering positive impacts, and aims to derive economic value from sea urchins that pose a significant threat to coastal ecosystems," comments Anastassiou.


Restorative Harvesting: Addressing Challenges and Creating Opportunities


The three-year project, starting early 2024, focuses on addressing the challenges posed by extensive sea urchin populations in the Tromsø area. The development of specialized harvesters for sea urchins, based on Ava Ocean's patented technology, will be a key aspect of the initiative.


Anastassiou explains, "The lack of effective and gentle harvesting systems has been a challenge. With millions of these sea urchins present, including the very small ones, almost all need to be harvested to provide the necessary foundation for kelp forests to recover."


Beyond simply removing sea urchins, the Ocean Green project aims to create commercially valuable products from these otherwise overlooked creatures. Anastassiou adds, "We aim not only to efficiently remove sea urchins but also to develop products from them that can be traded, establishing a sustainable, circular value chain."


With effective control over these often called "zombie" sea urchins, the project envisions the restoration of kelp forests along the coast, acting as vital nurseries for juvenile fish and other seafood, carbon storage, nitrogen recycling, and erosion protection.


In addition to its environmental objectives, the Ocean Green project strives to create awareness and engagement within the local community, involving businesses, schools, and tourism in Tromsø. Wild Lab Projects, based in Tromsø, will play a crucial role in this novel aspect of the initiative.


Delphin Ruché, leader of Wild Lab Projects, emphasizes, "We aim to ensure that people enjoying the Northern Norwegian coast, whether as visitors or residents, can actively participate in the project and gain insights into the importance of these often overlooked natural areas for biodiversity and marine life."


The Ocean Green project, led by Ava Ocean, secures NOK 47 million from the Norwegian government Green Platform grant to eliminate sea urchin deserts and rejuvenate kelp forests along the Norwegian coast.

News

Ocean Green project kicks off below the surface in Tromsø

Ava Ocean receives 47 million to tackle urchin barrens and restore kelp forests in Northern Norway