10 Furthermore, the transition from an oil-based economy to a bio-based economy will increase the demand for biomass, including biomass of aquatic origin (e.g. seaweed). Fulfilling these demands in a sustainable way with respect for environmental capacity will require new concepts of production for seafood and aquatic biomass. As launched, the concept of marine parks entails the production of various forms of aquatic food and biomass (e.g. fish, mussels, seaweeds) at sea, combined in clusters and using infrastructures that are already present (e.g. wind farms, oil and gas platforms) (Broeze, et. al., 2004). The combination of different sectors enables synergy and the efficient use of space. For example, seaweed cultivation can have positive environmental impact, including the uptake of nutrients from fish production and the enhancement of marine biodiversity. The seaweed and the cultivation systems offer substrate for attachment, shelter, and feed for molluscs and fish. The system can even be managed as a nursery for young fish in order to restore fish population in the North Sea. Because marine parks bring new systems into practice, they can be described as system innovations. Further details about system innovation are provided in Section 2.2 System Innovation. Definition Marine parks are clusters for creating sustainable production at sea by integrating renewable energy production with aquaculture and by making effective use of ecosystem functions, thus enabling the multidisciplinary and multifunctional use of space, as well as production at sea, with minimum environmental impact. Examples Marine parks are designed in four formats: • Offshore (>20 km from the coast) • Near shore (10 – 20 km from the coast) • Inshore (<10 km from the coast) • Onshore (on the coast) One example of offshore design is BioQ8, which combines the production of algae, seaweed, mussels and fish with energy generation in the wave rotor (Van Beek and Florentinus, 2008). The Almare is another example of an offshore marine-park project. This project combines a floating construction with underwater areas and aquaculture, possibly supplemented by wave and wind energy (Van Beek and Florentinus, 2008). The idea of clustering the production of seaweed and seafood with energy production in the Princess Amalia Wind Farm (offshore) has recently become a topic of discussion as well. The Sea-Spar-Star design is an example of a near-shore marine park. In this design, anchored floating structures for wind turbines can be combined with closed floating structures for the cultivation of fish, shellfish, or other cultures (e.g. algae, aquatic algae, and seaweeds). These floatingstructuresarealso applicable in offshore constructions. Another new marine-park project that has been presented, ‘Seaweeds Pagina 20

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