There is no business case for eelgrass restoration yet. However, our goal is to do it industrially on a large scale so we can really make a difference.
Can we invent our way to a better future - or do we simply need to stop inventing and consuming?
We asked about this in the post ”Inventions with meaning: Is it planetary responsible to invent something new?”
Here we take a closer look at our eelgrass seeder and its place in that question.
We need eelgrass back in Danish waters. And right now we are working to Develop a system, that can make it happen on a large scale on commercial terms. The goal is an efficient system that can both germinate the plants and automatically plant them in the seabed.
The machine will draw on the planet's resources and emit CO2 during both production and operation. In return, if we succeed, it will be able to re-establish eelgrass on a large scale. And that should deliver a net gain for both emissions and local biodiversity.
Success requires less emissions from agriculture
When it comes to planetary boundaries, there's never a single explanation or solution to reaching the goal. The same goes for planting eelgrass: the system and the seeder are just one piece of a larger puzzle of challenges to overcome.
If we are to succeed, it is a prerequisite that far less nitrogen is discharged into the water from agricultural land.
If the discharge is not stopped or significantly reduced, there is no point in having a good, efficient and automated process for planting eelgrass. If there is too much nitrogen in the water, the plants die.
We are already experiencing this challenge in the development process: There are simply few places in Denmark where the water conditions are good enough to test the solution in practice. So we have an external challenge ahead of us before the seeder can become operational.
Innovation and efficiency without a financial bottom line
We focus on what we can control: creating an efficient process to quickly and effectively grow eelgrass - harvesting seeds from existing eelgrass beds and then either sowing them directly with our seeder or germinating them and planting them out.
We are still developing in two different tracks and continuously testing different prototypes because there are doubts about what is most viable and effective.
There is no immediate bottom line in the project for our future customers: the state and municipalities will have to pay to re-establish eelgrass without getting a return on investment. But it's important that we find a solution. Several foundations have already set aside money to make it operational. And the more effective we can make the solution, the more we can get out of that money.
The project is supported by the Environmental Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (MUDP) and Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP) of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture and is developed in collaboration with Blue Research. The current phase of the project will end in August 2027.
FACTS: The planetary boundaries
The concept of planetary boundaries describes the ecological framework that humanity must stay within to maintain Earth's stability and resilience.
- Climate change How much greenhouse gas the atmosphere can tolerate before climate change becomes unstable and self-reinforcing.
- Loss of biodiversity - How many species and ecosystems can be lost before nature's functions break down.Changes in land use - Especially deforestation and cultivation of natural areas that affect carbon cycles and biodiversity.
- Biogeochemical cycles The amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering ecosystems through agriculture and industry.
- Freshwater consumption - How much freshwater humans can use without drying up rivers, lakes and groundwater reserves.
- Ocean acidification - the chemical alteration of the ocean due to increased CO₂ uptake that threatens marine ecosystems.
- Atmospheric aerosols - particles from pollution that affect climate and human health.
- The ozone layer in the stratosphere - How much ozone must be depleted before UV radiation becomes dangerous to life on Earth.
- New substances and chemical pollution - such as microplastics, pesticides and heavy metals that nature cannot break down.
The latest assessment (Rockström et al., 2023) concludes that six of the nine limits have been exceeded: climate, biodiversity, land use, nitrogen/phosphorus, freshwater and emerging substances.