Strandabyggð Municipality
IceKelp
Building a sustainable seaweed cultivation industry with a Kelp Living Lab Approach: stakeholder engagement, demo sites and biodiversity studies
As nurseries, shelters, foraging grounds and primary producers, seaweed forms the foundation of diverse ecosystems. Kelp forests provide ecosystem services that enable coastal communities to thrive.
In anticipation of a steep increase in commercial demand for kelp and pressures on kelp forests from climate change and increased exploitations, a roadmap to transition rural coastal livelihood into a sustainable seaweed blue economy will provide opportunities to protect and restore the environment and increase resilience in rural communities.
Kelp cultivation provides a good pathway to implement ecosystem-based management by maintaining the local community’s connection and awareness to nature and natural resources. The potential increase in biodiversity and ecosystem services from kelp cultivation will benefit residents, especially fishers and tour operators.
IceKelp will adopt the Living Lab Approach and provide feedback to A-AAGORA blueprint and roadmap development through the lens of implementing kelp cultivation with residents of Strandabyggð in Iceland. Through public presentations and consultations, we will map and engage with stakeholders. Demo sites will be launched with new farmers and fishers to provide hands on seaweed cultivation training and collect feedback. Dive surveys will be conducted to document sea life associated with kelp sea farm sites.
Team member
Jamie Lee
Role: Project manager, sea farmer education
Expertise: MRM in coastal and marine management; kelp hatchery and farming; food production
Bergsveinn G. Reynisson
Role: Sea farm operations and farmer education
Expertise: Aquaculture; animal husbandry; seafaring, sea farm operations
Thorgeir Palsson
Role: Municipality leader
Expertise: MBA Business and administration, BSc in Fishery Economics
Alexandra Tyas
Role: Dive surveys, biodiversity studies
Expertise: PhD candidate and researcher, underwater archaeology and public engagement
Dr. Catherine Chambers
Role: Researcher
Senior scientist at the Stefansson Arctic Institute and research manager at the University Centre of the Westfjords