Integrating seaweed cultivation with large-scale offshore floating structures

To contribute to the sustainable food transition, to make efficient use of the ‘crowded’ Dutch North Sea and to enhance biodiversity there is an increasing interest for stimulating the low-trophic aquaculture sector in the Netherlands. We look at the potential of offshore seaweed cultivation in combination with large-scale floating infrastructure at the Dutch North Sea. This as part of the NWA project Floating Future (https://floating-future.nl/). 

Specifically culturing seaweed in combination with other infrastructure might have practical benefits in terms of logistics, transportation costs and efficient use of space. However, a lot of questions remain. For example, how do different seaweed species respond to the rough offshore environment? What is the impact of limited light availability on the quality and growth of seaweed? What is the impact of seaweed farms on the biodiversity? How much CO₂, nitrogen, phosphate and other minerals can seaweed farms sequester? Answers to these questions are important in order to understand the potential of offshore seaweed cultivation in combination with floating structures in the Dutch North Sea. 

We seek HBO or WO (master)students interested in ecology, biology, chemistry or physiology of seaweeds. Current research consists of experiments that investigate the combined impact of rough hydrodynamics and limited light availabilities on the quality and growth of seaweed. The work will consist of doing/participating in experiments with seaweeds, collecting samples for measurements and interpreting the experimental results. 

Requirements

The work will be done at the department Estuarine and Delta Systems NIOZ (https://www.nioz.nl/en/about/eds) in Yerseke, Zeeland. A guest house is available. Any internship has a minimum duration of 4 months. 

Contact

For more information and to apply, please contact PhD candidate Vera Hartman (vera.hartman@nioz.nl).