The North Sea is constantly evolving, not only as a source of energy and food, but also as a living environment where nature restoration and innovation increasingly go hand in hand. One of the most promising initiatives within this theme is kelp rewilding: the reintroduction of kelp forests to strengthen biodiversity, enhance coastal protection, and capture CO₂.
Within the Natuurversterking Noordzee (Nature Restoration North Sea) programme, the first steps are being taken to make this possible on a larger scale, in collaboration with Ebbing Tides, Wageningen Marine Research, SEAWISER, substrate producers, and Campus@Sea.
Kelp is a fast-growing seaweed that forms true “forests” beneath the waves. These kelp forests provide a rich habitat for fish, shellfish, and countless other marine organisms. They filter water, reduce wave energy, store carbon, and contribute to oxygen production.
Around the world, kelp is being actively restored to strengthen ecosystems and mitigate the effects of climate change. In the Netherlands, kelp rewilding is still relatively new — but its ecological and societal potential is significant.
Kelp contributes to:
🌿 Biodiversity, creating shelter and food-rich habitats for marine species.
🌊 Coastal protection, reducing wave energy and helping to prevent erosion.
♻️ Carbon storage, capturing CO₂ during growth and supporting natural climate mitigation.
The Natuurversterking Noordzee programme provides space for innovative pilots and validation studies that combine nature restoration with sustainable offshore development. Within this framework, researchers explore how kelp can successfully establish along the Dutch coast and under which environmental conditions it grows best.
Ebbing Tides, together with partners such as Wageningen Marine Research, SEAWISER, and Campus@Sea, studies key ecological parameters including currents, light, temperature, and nutrient availability. At the same time, technical solutions are being developed — from anchoring systems to substrate designs — to stimulate kelp growth in a natural and resilient way.
This innovative approach focuses on the precision placement and management of kelp structures, allowing natural colonisation and ecosystem recovery to occur without large-scale interventions.
Towards a future-proof North Sea
Kelp rewilding is more than nature restoration; it represents a new balance between ecology and economy at sea. By connecting research, innovation, and collaboration, we can shape a future in which the North Sea not only provides energy and food but also strengthens climate resilience and biodiversity.
Together with its partners, Campus@Sea continues to support projects that make this possible, step by step, wave by wave. 🌿⚓️
Campus@Sea
Hellingweg 9c
2583 DZ DEN HAAG
info@campusatsea.nl