News
Lost oyster reef is being restored
Two centuries ago, about 20% of the seabed of the Dutch North Sea was covered with large oyster reefs. Nowadays, there are hardly any wild oyster reefs to be found in the North Sea. Researchers from the Rich North Sea and Gemini Windpark are joining forces to restore one of the largest oyster reefs that the North Sea has ever had. In the windpark of Gemini, 85 km off the north coast of The Netherlands, they have taken the first steps to rebuild an oyster reef the size of no less than eight football fields.
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In conversation with colleagues: so much to learn underwater
The Rich North Sea consists of a team of dedicated professionals from The North Sea Foundation and Nature & Environment. Day in and day out, they work hard for a healthy North Sea, rich in nature, full of life and a source of renewable energy. We talk to two of them: Frank Jacobs (project manager) and Renate Olie (marine ecologist). They talk about their motivation, their work and about their passion for the North Sea.
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Nature development on the bottom of The Rich North Sea: what does The Rich North Sea do?
If you stand on the North Sea beach you can see some wind farms in clear weather. What happens there? And what does life underwater look like?
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8.5 million euros from the Dream Fund kicked off The Rich North Sea
The De Rijke Noordzee project received a huge boost from a contribution of 8.5 million euros from the National Postcode Lottery's Dream Fund. This grant enabled De Rijke Noordzee to enhance underwater nature in wind farms on a large scale for the first time. Three years later, we look back: has our dream of a rich North Sea actually come closer?
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Partners in sustainability: about our partnership with ASN Bank
From the very beginning, ASN Bank has been involved in the creation of De Rijke Noordzee. ASN Bank has been a partner of De Rijke Noordzee since 2018. Biodiversity and climate are two pillars where ASN Bank and De Rijke Noordzee strengthen each other. We are curious about this special partnership and asked Arie Koornneef, Director of ASN Bank.
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Research on cod and lobster behaviour around artificial reefs in wind farm Borssele I and II
Ørsted, The Rich North Sea, Wageningen Marine Research and the Win-Wind consortium have recently launched a study on the behaviour of cod and lobster in Ørsted’s wind farm Borssele 1&2. Ørsted has installed four artificial reefs in the windmill park in the fourth quarter of 2020, in line with its ambition to design nature-inclusive offshore wind farms. Researchers use transponders to study these species that have a marked preference for hard substrate, such as artificial reefs, in their direct living environment. Moreover, eDNA samples will be taken from the water to provide insight into the development of biodiversity on the artificial reefs. The offshore wind farm has been fully operational since the last quarter of 2020. The official opening will take place on September 6th 2021.
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Reefy wins Offshore Wind Innovation Challenge 2020
On March 4 innovators Reefy, ReefSystems and ILVO Flanders competed by pitching their solution to two challenges De Rijke Noordzee has issued in 2020. Reefy and ReefSystems presented their solution in relation to biodegradable reefs and ILVO Flanders for efficient biodiversity monitoring. During a live stream at De Oude Bibliotheek in Delft, the jury declared Reefy the winner of the Challenge 2020. By winning the challenge they have won expert coaching, a possible launching customer, publicity support and a test opportunity for a pilot in the North Sea.
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In addition to seaweed cultivation, North Sea Farmers are now also researching nature enhancement
The Rich North Sea, an initiative of The North Sea Foundation (Stichting De Noordzee) and Natuur & Milieu, has occupied a plot at North Sea Farmers. At this so-called Offshore Test Site, research is being conducted into sustainable seaweed cultivation. This research site is located about 12 kilometers off the coast at Scheveningen. The Rich North Sea will use its plot to conduct research into nature development in offshore wind farms. Last month, researchers from The Rich North Sea placed several oyster cages and artificial reefs there.
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