Sea waters produce half of the earth’s oxygen, yet climate change and human activity have led to a decline in ocean oxygen levels, including in the North Sea. To address this, the pioneering SEAHORSE project led by DMEC, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre and supported by an international scientific board, explores using excess oxygen from offshore green hydrogen production to restore oxygen levels in the North Sea ecosystem.
This groundbreaking study will help answer the question: can hydrogen solve the growing lack of oxygen in the North Sea? By repurposing excess oxygen, we aim to enhance the environmental sustainability of offshore energy production and support biodiversity conservation. This project, supported by TKI Offshore Energy, aligns with EU and Dutch renewable energy targets while promoting biodiversity protection, proving once again that nature, innovation, and sustainable business cases can go hand in hand.
Ewa Spiesz (DMEC) “Utilizing oxygen - a byproduct of offshore green hydrogen generation - can help bring the ocean dead zones to life. In this TKI Offshore energy project, with experts from the Netherlands and beyond, we will explore the potential of artificial reoxygenation (until 2050) and verify its need in the North Sea. This approach will bring us a step closer to a more nature-inclusive energy transition.”
Willem Renema (Naturalis) “Similar to a canary in the coal mine, seahorses are one of the first species impacted by a lack of oxygen in the North Sea. This symbolic title represents a project that is the first-of-its-kind in the North Sea and hopefully the beginning of a new era of knowledge-based action against the biodiversity crisis.”
For further information or media inquiries, please contact Minja Mihajlovic.
