Case Study: Kelp Blue advances biodiversity monitoring for offshore kelp farming with NatureMetrics

Kelp Blue builds a 2-year biodiversity baseline with NatureMetrics

Kelp Blue, an offshore giant kelp farming operation, partnered with NatureMetrics to evaluate the biodiversity impacts of its pilot project off the coast of Namibia. The challenge was to demonstrate the potential benefits and investigate any negative impacts of large-scale kelp farming, such as how wild and farmed kelp would interact and concerns about introducing alien species, before scaling up cultivation.

NatureMetrics provided eDNA kits and training to the Kelp Blue team for monthly sampling. The solution established a robust biodiversity baseline, which detected threatened, endangered, and endemic species. The impact empowered Kelp Blue to responsibly scale its operations, supported the development of a universal kelp ecosystem health metric, and unlocked potential for biodiversity credit finance. NatureMetrics' data also provided insights into seasonal and spatial biodiversity patterns.

Kelp Blue