Nazaré Regenerative Seaweed Farm

The Hope Zones Foundation is leading the creation of the Nazaré Regenerative Seaweed Farm (NRSF), located in the coastal waters of Nazaré, Portugal. Founded by former big-wave surfing champion João de Macedo, Hope Zones was born from his decision to start saving waves rather than just riding them.

This pilot project is designed to rebuild ecological integrity, restore habitat complexity, and explore the potential of kelp as both a climate and biodiversity solution.

Kelp forests are keystone ecosystems. They provide shelter and food for countless marine species, cycle nutrients, protect coastlines, and can capture and store carbon. By trialing regenerative kelp farming in Nazaré, this project aims to generate critical data and lay the groundwork for scaling restoration along exposed Atlantic coastlines.

Why Nazaré?

The Portuguese west coast has lost much of its natural kelp canopy due to warming seas and human impacts. The chosen pilot site inside the Aveiro–Nazaré Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation shows limited kelp recruitment and low habitat complexity—making it an ideal degraded baseline for restoration trials.

Here’s why Nazaré is the perfect place for this work:

Restoration + Biodiversity Uplift + Research

Since there’s no rocky reef for kelp to grow on, we’re using a floating seaweed farm to create new habitat, attract marine life, and fill critical research gaps for exposed Atlantic coasts.

Existing Infrastructure

The site uses an old artificial reef and is just minutes from Nazaré Harbour—making it easy to access, anchor equipment, and monitor the farm.

Community Buy-in

Local fishers and communities back this project, as it supports jobs and healthier oceans without restricting livelihoods.

Media + Education

Known worldwide for big-wave surfing and the documentary , Nazaré offers powerful opportunities for education, storytelling, and inspiring ocean action.

Hope Zones Foundation

Project Partner

This project is led by the Hope Zones Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Portuguese big-wave surfer and ocean advocate Joãode Macedo. A grant from Patagonia and the World Surf League One Ocean program, as well as recognition from the UN OceanDecade network, really helped launch this initiative, which originally counted with IPL-MARE and SeaForester - also partners with Seatrees. Hope Zones focus on the Nazaré-area, led it to shift its Regeneration strategy to adopt Regenerative Seaweed Farming practices.

This new path was forged with scientific partners: IPL-MARE and new partners: Open Climate Solutions. Regenerative Seaweed Farming means a new and innovative way of continuing what was started with planting more native seaweed in the ocean in a way that works to protect and regenerate the ocean by blending science, community, and storytelling: Hope Zones' core values and impact focus.

Learn more about Hope Zones

How Will this Pilot Inform Global Restoration?

The Iberian upwelling marks the southern limit for many North Atlantic kelps. By proving regenerative aquaculture can succeed here, NRSF will create a blueprint for other exposed coastlines in Europe and beyond. Key outcomes include:

  • An open-access dataset linking kelp growth, species richness, habitat complexity, and carbon cycling.
  • Rigorous ecological monitoring using eDNA, ROV surveys, and scientific diving.
  • A model for integrating climate mitigation and biodiversity recovery in one project.

Why it Matters

While kelp farming is often described as a “nature-positive” climate solution, the science is still limited. Many farms create novel ecosystems rather than true kelp forests, and the carbon capture potential remains uncertain. By coupling kelp farming with rigorous ecological science, the Nazaré project will:

  • Measure biodiversity uplift in a degraded Atlantic ecosystem.
  • Quantify real carbon fluxes—growth, erosion, and detritus export—using the latest protocols.
  • Provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders across Europe.

Methodology

Spore Cultivation: Kelp spores are cultivated in Peniche, the same lab where our SeaForester project began.

Seeded Lines: University partners grow kelp on lines, which are transported swiftly in coolers to Nazaré.

Outplanting: Seeded lines are attached to farm infrastructure just 3 meters below the surface for monitoring.

Scientific Framework: The project follows a before–after–control–impact (BACI) design, ensuring robust, publishable results.