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It is 25 degrees and Funchal, Madeira’s capital, is expecting hundreds of researchers, exhibitors, students and delegates for the Aquaculture Europe 2021 at the Congress Center of the Pestana Hotel. Under the motto “Oceans of Opportunities” the many challenges Europe faces, such as social-economical threats, climate change, depletion of natural resources, pollution, food security and safety as well as human migrations were discussed.

Last week the German Pilot team welcomed the postdoctoral researcher Dr. Jessica Knoop from the Phycology group of Ghent University. Jessica is part of the Belgian offshore Pilot and involved in the seaweed installations. Over the past year, the working group tested different seeding techniques and strains.  

on 27 October from 10-1PM CET (Berlin Time) and get to know about ocean multi-use demonstration pilots!

UNITED does not only evaluate the viability of ocean multi-use on paper, it does so in the real world: the project is built around five demonstration pilots that put multi-use into practice, both in near-shore and off-shore environments. Learn more in the first project press release!

When you are offshore, safety comes first! At the end of April, Annelies Declercq from the Belgian pilot team attended a STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) training, requested by the Belgian authorities to enter the offshore wind farms on a ship.

The UNITED team is happy to announce the start of a series of multi-use training workshops. The first public available workshop “Workshop Offshore Platform Operation, Safety and Logistics within the context of multi-use” will be held on October 26, 2021 in Kiel, Germany.

Scientists from the R&D Centre of the University of Applied Sciences Kiel GmbH are striking a challenging coup to better research hydrological conditions at far offshore located seaweed and mussel cultivation systems in the North Sea. 

As the operational phase of the UNITED project approaches, Pilot teams are working at full speed to make final preparations. For the German Pilot this means procuring seaweed strains from the North Sea, for professional propagation in a lab. The propagated seaweed seedlings will be later on seeded on longlines and nets to be installed close to the FINO3.

The Dutch pilot moved into deployment mode in October and November last year, installing offshore solar and seaweed farms in the North Sea. Despite COVID-19 complications and recent rough seas, the project partners forged ahead with set-up at the North Sea Farmers/ North Sea Innovation Lab site, 12km offshore from Scheveningen.

Get on a fishing vessel. Sail for about 20 minutes. Get off at the platform in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Climb up 12 sets of ladders. Look around. Let yourself be carried away by the stunning view. 

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Eva Strothotte and Maria Jaeger (FuE) presented the UNITED project at the 11^th YOUMARES conference for young marine researchers in Hamburg. Find out more:  https://www.youmares.org/

Implementing the pre-operational phase at the German pilot does not only involve material procurement and biological preparation: health and safety come first, and the pilot team needs to be prepared for offshore work. 

In spite of some delays due to the COVID-19 crisis, the first flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) aquaculture structures and restoration tables have been set out in the Belgian part of the North Sea during the past summer months.

Touch the benefits of ocean multi-use with your own hands: join the open house day at the Middelgrunden wind farm!

So far, 2020 has not been the easiest of years, but it seems that life is going back to normal – and UNITED activities are getting back on track!

The first UNITED webinar took place on 3 June 2020. The webinar, which lasted 3 hours, introduced the project to the wider audience and it initiated a broader discussion about the topic of multi-use.

Join the interactive webinar on 3 June from 12:00 - 14:00h CEST!

What are the barriers for the large-scale rollout of ocean multi-use? The first UNITED report, led by Wageningen University and Research, answers this question.

The videos produced by the Wageningen University and Research, address the health and safety aspects of ocean multi-use solutions.

The Dutch multi-use procedure has been published, with contributions from UNITED partner Noordzeeboerderij. The procedure helps developers aiming to venture into ocean multi-use activity in wind farms. 

Warming up the engines for the first concrete actions as part of the pre-operational phase.

The Research and Development Center Kiel University of Applied Sciences has a new position open.

The Horizon 2020 project UNITED had its Kick-Off meeting in Delft, the Netherlands on 27-29 January 2020.