Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

Powering blue innovation: The Ocean Observing Prize

Blue Power Connectors Team, World Ocean Initiative Energy Solutions

A new competition seeks new concepts to integrate wave energy with autonomous underwater vehicles.

Read more → (3 minute read)


Seaweed biotech facility opens in New Zealand

The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

A brand-new aquaculture facility has been opened in the New Zealand port of Tauranga as part of a $13 million algal biotechnology research project.

Read more → (4 minute read)


Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution Gains Momentum

Plastic Pollution Coalition Plastics & Pollution

Last week, the UN held the final Expert Group meeting on marine litter and microplastics, one of the last formal steps before United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) discusses creation of an international negotiating committee.

Read more → (4 minute read)


Investors and policymakers urged not to overlook freshwater fish farms

The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

The growth and improvement of freshwater aquaculture systems should not be neglected, despite a widespread tendency by investors and policymakers to look towards the oceans as the key area for the growth of global fish farming.

Read more → (5 minute read)


Global treaty to tackle plastic pollution gains steam without US and UK

Karen McVeigh, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

More than two-thirds of UN member states have declared they are open to a new agreement to stem the rising tide of plastic waste.

Read more → (7 minute read)


Jeff Bezos announces nearly $800 million in grants to 16 groups fighting climate change

Allen Kim, CNN Energy Solutions

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced Monday that he will give $791 million in grants as part of his Bezos Earth Fund to 16 organizations that are working to protect the environment.

Read more → (3 minute read)


A deep dive into Zero Hunger: the seaweed revolution

Economic Development, UN News Fisheries & Aquaculture

In the first story of a two-part series looking at the opportunities and challenges facing Ocean farming, we take a look at the huge potential role of seaweed in mitigating climate change, cutting marine pollution, and achieving the UN goal of Zero Hunger.

Read more → (5 minute read)


The ocean is changing faster than ever. Investing in nature can help protect it

Nathanial Matthews, Karen Sack and Chip Cunliffe - World Economic Forum

Ocean-derived risks are multiplying. Investing in coastal nature-based solutions can help address them. Our ocean is changing at the fastest rate in human history, with wide-ranging implications for billions of people.

Read more → (5 minute read)


How we can prioritize sustainability in rebuilding tourism

Maksim Soshkin & Isobel Fenton, World Economic Forum Tourism

Conscientious and sustainable tourism practices can help local populations and the environment.

Read more → (8 minute read)


Experts to Fire Up Marine Renewables with Blue Economy Conference

Editorial Staff, Renewable Energy Magazine Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture

Marine industry experts from Portugal and Canada are staging a special Blue Economy conference to spark transatlantic business growth. WavEC Offshore Renewables is teaming up with the Embassy of Canada to Portugal to host ‘Advancing the Blue Economy through Intercontinental Collaboration’.

It will run Dec. 9-10, 2020.

Read more → (3 minute read)


Water industry unveils multi-billion pound 2030 net zero vision

Michael Holder, Business Green Energy Solutions

UK water companies have drawn up a joint roadmap to rapidly decarbonise the industry within a decade, today unveiling a multi-billion pound plan to harness green gas, renewable power, electric vehicles, and nature-based climate solutions to deliver net zero emissions across the entire sector by 2030.

Read more → (4 minute read)


World's 'most powerful' floating wind turbine installed on floating foundation

Cecilia Keating, Business Green Energy Solutions

The world's largest offshore floating wind project marked a major milestone this week, after MHI Vestas announced it had successfully installed one of the project's 9.5MW turbines on its floating foundation.

Read more → (2 minute read)


Is seaweed the solution to agriculture’s methane problem?

Ian Caldwell Fisheries & Aquaculture

Adding seaweed to animals’ diet specifically to reduce their methane production is a relatively new idea.

Read more → (8 minute read)


New study reveals United States a top source of plastic pollution in coastal environments

Science Daily Plastics & Pollution

A study published today in the journal Science Advances has revealed that the United States ranks as high as third among countries contributing to coastal plastic pollution when taking into account its scrap plastic exports as well as the latest figures on illegal dumping and littering in the country.

Read more → (4 minute read)


Can the growth of aquaculture help restore the health of our ocean?

Robert Jones and Georg Baunach Fisheries & Aquaculture

Aquaculture is now the fastest growing form of food production. But can we go a step further and create a future where aquaculture grows in a way that contributes positively to ocean health?

Read more → (4 minute read)


Investor survey signals growing frustration over corporate 'greenwash'

Michael Holder, Business Green

Schroders survey of 650 institutional investors managing $25.9tr worldwide signals surging interest in active company engagement on green issues.

Read more → (3 minute read)


CFMs CI2 Partnering with EOS Capital and Kelp Blue on Large Scale Kelp Farm

Climate Fund Managers Fisheries & Aquaculture

Climate Fund Managers (CFM) and Eos Capital announce a partnership between Climate Investor Two (managed by Climate Fund Managers), Kelp Blue and the Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund (NIDIF), managed by Eos Capital, for the commercial development of the world’s first large-scale kelp farm.

Read more → (5 minute read)


Plans to create a $60 million seaweed farm unveiled

The Fish Site Fisheries & Aquaculture

Plans to invest $60 million to create the world’s largest kelp farm 3-10 kilometres off the coast of Namibia have been announced today.

A joint project involving Kelp Blue, Climate Investor Two (CI2) and the Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund (NIDIF), the funding will cover the initial five-year phase, and will come from both international and local Namibian sources through CI2 and NIDIF, pending investment approvals, while Kelp Blue will seek the necessary Namibian regulatory approvals and will liaise closely with local authorities.

Read more → (3 minute read)


UK firm turning industrial CO2 into fish food secures €2.5m boost

Toby Hill, Business Green Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture

Work to scale-up production of a protein animal feed aimed at transforming the aquaculture industry has received a boost this week, with UK biotech company Deep Branch having secured €2.5m funding from the Europe Innovation Council (EIC).

Read more → (2 minute read)


How investors are coming up with the green to save the ocean blue

Saqib Rahim, The Washington Post

Environmental threats to oceans around the world are prompting new approaches and deals to raise money for rescue efforts.

Read more → (9 minute read)