Last week, our hometown of Scarborough was buzzing with activity as it played host to the ReMeMaRe 2025 conference. The theme, "Restoring Meadow, Marsh, and Reef," could not be more aligned with our own mission, and the SeaGrown team was delighted to be deeply involved in two days of vital discussion, collaboration, and practical demonstration.
The week kicked off on Tuesday evening as we hosted a pre-conference networking event at The Delmont Hotel. It was a fantastic opportunity to welcome delegates to Scarborough and set a collaborative tone for the days ahead. We were joined by representatives from a brilliant range of organisations, including the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the Environment Agency, the RSPB, and North Yorkshire Council. Huge thanks to Chef Chris for providing incredible seaweed-infused dishes that were a great conversation starter!
The conference itself, held at the Scarborough Spa, was packed with insightful talks and discussions focused on the practicalities of marine restoration. It brought together experts from science, industry, and policy, all sharing knowledge and exploring pathways to a healthier marine future. For our team, it was an invaluable chance to learn and contribute.
Here, Dr Hong Chin Ng, our Senior Scientific Officer, shares his reflections on the event:
"Attending the ReMeMaRe conference this year deepened my appreciation for the interconnectedness of ecosystems from land to sea and the importance of restoring whole seascapes to enhance resilience against climate change. It was inspiring to see diverse efforts from across the UK, Europe, and Australia, monitoring and restoring marshes, seagrass beds, oyster beds, and kelp forests to safeguard the richness of our marine biodiversity and resources.
SeaGrown’s work stood out as a unique approach - with the flexibility of targeting sites that are in need of biodiversity restoration, anywhere from coast to offshore, through novel and trialled seaweed cultivation techniques, that have garnered positive interest from government bodies including Environment Agency, RSPB, Crown Estate, Defra, MMO, as well as private environmental consultancies."
Perhaps the highlight of the week was putting theory into practice. As the conference wound down on Thursday afternoon, under perfect blue skies, we took a group of invited delegates out to sea aboard Bright Blue. It was a pleasure to host representatives from the RSPB, MMO, and the Office for Environmental Protection at our offshore cultivation site. After two days of discussing concepts, this was a chance to show them our Kelpedo™ units firsthand and demonstrate how our seaweed cultivation is actively creating new, complex reef-like habitats and contributing to ocean health.
Overall, ReMeMaRe 2025 was a huge success. It reinforced the power of collaboration and the shared commitment across sectors to restore our precious marine ecosystems. A big thank you to the organisers, Ocean & Coastal Futures, and all who attended. We left feeling inspired and more dedicated than ever to our mission.
