Award of Seaweed Cultivation - Trial Deployment

Description

This contract concerns technical input and oversight of the deployment, operation and monitoring of the proposed trial seaweed cultivation site off the Banffshire coast.As part of its role to diversify the coastal economy, in 2019/20 the Economic Development team identified an opportunity to investigate the potential for seaweed cultivation on the Banff and Buchan coast. Initial work was undertaken in 2021 to conduct an early feasibility study to establish the viability of the concept from a technical and financial perspective. The summary and recommendations from this report reported there is a technically feasible, socially, and environmentally beneficial, and commercially viable opportunity for seaweed cultivation to be carried out in the Aberdeenshire area. Financial modelling confirms that seaweed cultivation is a viable business opportunity. Further micro-siting and a project trial were advised as the next step that the Council should pursue.Phase 2: Environmental monitoring equipment & design of Phase 3 (August-Sept 2024).• Phase 2a: Liaison with Argyll Aquaculture regarding the fabrication of the structures and the moorings.• Phase 2b: Design of environmental monitoring protocol.• Phase 2c: Develop seaweed cultures for Phase 3Phase 3: Deployment of seaweed, monitoring, analyses and reporting (October 2024-August 2025).• Phase 3a: seed and development of SOP for sampling and monitoring.• Phase 3b: Undertake the monitoring and remove biomass samples• Phase 3c: Monitoring and analysis of seaweed and environmental data.• Phase 3d: Provide a report on the main outcomes. Overall aim to better understand growth performance criteria and seasonal constraints with respect to seaweed cultivation on the East Coa