The plans for giant seaweed farms in European waters

At a testing site way off the Dutch coast a breakthrough was made this summer.

Some 12km (7.5 miles) out at sea, a converted fishing boat mechanically harvested a batch of farmed seaweed. The kelp had been grown on netting hanging below a 50m (164ft) long plastic tube that was floating on the water, held in place by buoys and two anchors on the seafloor.

The boat was positioned alongside, and an 8m tall, electric-powered cutting arm was moved into the water. It pulled up the tubing and sliced the long strands of seaweed from the 2m wide net. The seaweed was then automatically bagged-up, and dropped onto the deck.

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Read the feature, which I researched with colleagues Nathalie Bertrams and Tristen Taylor, for BBC News here. With support from the Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists (FWJ).

Photo credit: Nathalie Bertrams