Carmeuse joins as a Founding Partner at The Center for Marine Restoration established by The Bellona Foundation in Lofoten, Norway. Through joining forces, the partners aim to help development of research, technology and knowledge necessary for restoration of Norway's blue rainforest.
As a global leader in limestone extraction, processing and lime product development, Carmeuse contributes essential knowledge and expertise necessary to develop a holistic, sustainable and large-scale approach to marine restoration. This partnership is a milestone in the development of the Center for Marine Restoration to restore the kelp forests in Northern Norway, says Joakim Hauge, Global Head of Science and Strategy in The Bellona Foundation.
"We are excited to join forces with Bellona as one of the founding partners of the Marine Center of Ocean Restoration. As a family-owned company, our long-term vision is rooted in sustainability with nature preservation being one of the key priorities of our sustainability roadmap. We strongly believe in the potential of our products and technologies to address global climate and environmental challenges and through this partnership, we aim to harness the power of cross-sector collaboration to restore our oceans and create a sustainable future" - says Ilse Kenis, Chief Carbon Officer of Carmeuse and General manager of Carmeuse Technologies.
The kelp forest is one of the most vital and biodiverse ecosystems on our planet. Along the northern coast of Norway, an area nearly the size of all combined built-up land in in Norway has been transformed from thriving kelp forests into a barren sea urchin desert. Through the new partnership, Bellona and Carmeuse will explore the potential role of lime in large-scale marine restoration efforts to bring back what has been referred to as the blue rainforest. With sea urchin overpopulation posing a growing threat to kelp forests and marine biodiversity, the partners agree that there is a need for innovative, research-based approaches to restore ecological balance.
"Lime has been used for decades to manage invasive and harmful species in both marine and freshwater environments. Early research suggests it may be effective in reducing sea urchin densities, allowing macroalgae to recover and biodiversity to return. However, the impact of lime can vary depending on environmental conditions, application methods, and sea urchin density. These uncertainties highlight the need for further investigation, and we are therefore excited that Carmeuse are bringing their experience to the table." - says Joakim Hauge, Global Head of Science and Strategy in The Bellona Foundation.
"We are confident the high diversity of partners and stakeholders involved in the project and the research center will contribute to bringing an integrated solutions to the table, incorporating all aspects of the challenge. We are seeking to develop a methodology for marine restoration that is expandable on a global level and have a true societal impact." - says Ilse Kenis.
The Center for Marine Restoration (CMR) will be a powerhouse for turning one of Europe's largest ecosystem crises into opportunities for forward-looking business development in Northern Norway, and for achieving national climate and environmental goals. The center aims to accelerate and coordinate research, technology development, information sharing, and quantification of restoration effects. CMR will serve as an infrastructure that can be utilized by other stakeholders from research, students, volunteers, startups, and larger commercial actors working on solutions in the value chain. The center will also have a strategic focus on research and technological development that has been identified as particularly important for enabling holistic solutions for large-scale nature restoration.
As a Founding Partner Carmeuse has contributed funding to realize the Center for Marine Restoration through its partnership with The Bellona Foundation. Previously, also the outdoor clothing company Norrøna has joined Center for Marine Restoration as a Founding Partner. Additional collaboration agreements related to the center have been signed with the University of Tromsø, the Lofoten Council and Blue Harvest Technologies.
