Twelp

Currently, synthetic ropes used in the fishing industry are a major source of entanglement for marine wildlife. They also contribute to microplastic pollution within the marine environment. Seaweed farming in the UK is still relatively young. However, is a rapidly growing industry globally not just within the UK, that will likely exacerbate marine pollution as they use the same ropes as the fishing industry. There has been substantial growth in the European seaweed industry over the past few decades, with the UK seaweed sector more than doubling since 2016\. In 2019, the market for seaweed was approx. US$15 billion, with Southeast Asia accounting for 97.5% of global seaweed production. In 2020, only inland finfish aquaculture surpassed global algae production in terms of tonnage. Currently, seaweed aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector in food production and offers significant commercial opportunities in the UK. However, a primary challenge in seaweed farming is the seeding and cultivation of kelps on twine and ropes for deployment in marine environments. This project aims not only to develop plastic-free seaweed substrates through our Twelp products to support clean maritime strategies, but also, we hope to enhance the seeding capacity of our Twelp substrates as a secondary benefit to our work. Twool are a small UK based company who have been innovating in wool based products, such as wool twine, rope, braid and net for over 15 years. In this work, we plan to use wool, which is an underused renewable resource which is 100% biodegradable, as an alternative to synthetic twine and rope. **We aim to make strides in the future of more environmentally friendly sustainable seaweed farming with plastic-free solutions and** **clean maritime** **practises in UK and beyond.** We also hope to extend our ethos to put seaweed farmers at the heart of our more business model while also making them more sustainable. Farmers have always been at the heart of our business model, whereby all our wool is sourced from British "At Risk" breeds who practise regenerative agriculture. Effective land management not only supports environmental sustainability but also enhances grass growth rates through practices such as rotational grazing, which additionally increases soil organic matter and carbon sequestration.