……….but Algapelago’s subsea version, Blue Forest, as expounded by the Parnership Manager, Kerr Jenifer, to Coastwise members, including marine ecology students from Petroc college.
This concept takes what is termed ‘aquaculture’, or growing sea life, and turns it into an ecological renewal process for the sea column from seabed to surface.
We know that much of our seabed and marine ecology has been badly damaged by a variety of fishing methods, and Algapelago’s approach marries alga and shellfish culture to create a highly beneficial habitiat. Crucually, the protected network area of surface cables and growing ropes to the seabed means that an undisturbed habitat is created where a wide variety of marine life thrives.
Algapelago has been granted a 116Ha area for a 5-yr trail lease period, extendable to a 40-year lease. It is virtually invisible at the surface, but is marked on marine charts. This trial period is being used for a detailed scientifica monitoring process to gather the data to prove the concept, although this, from examples of other MPAs (e.g. the Lundy MPA), is evidently succesful.
There is potential for many of these renewal zones to be establishes, and the concept is gaining support from the fishing industry, which sees the benefits of increased marine life outside the Blue Forest area.
