Impact case study: Ava Ocean
The future of sustainable seabed harvesting
Part of Norselab's growth portfolio, Ava Ocean has developed a unique, seabed-friendly method for harvesting shellfish. The method allows for identifying, selecting, and sorting seafood species without harming marine ecosystems. The company's technology has reopened the fishery of Arctic scallops in the Barents Sea after 30 years of closure. Ava Ocean also actively contributes to increasing knowledge about human impact on marine life.
The challenge
We don’t talk enough about the seabed. It is misunderstood and often overlooked. Yet, Ava Ocean’s Dagny-Elise Anastassiou compares the seabed to a boat’s trim tab: it is rarely talked about, but one movement can change the course of the whole vessel. However, up until now, the vast majority of human activity on the seabed has been destructive. Traditional dredging methods to harvest seafood, such as scallops, have resulted in significant amounts of C02 released and lasting harm on invaluable marine ecosystems, which take years to restore. For instance, kelp forests provide ecosystem services valued at US $ 500bn a year.
As a result, seabed dredging is banned or restricted in some countries, such as Norway, but about 1,000 dredgers for shellfish are still active in our oceans today.
The seabed is vital for all life on earth and holds abundant opportunities and unexplored seafood resources. As a large share of our global population depends on the ocean and its resources for food, employment, and community building, unlocking the seabed’s wealth of resources while preserving its delicate ecosystem has the potential to create large-scale impact across a range of sustainability challenges.
How Ava Ocean attacked the challenge
In close collaboration with research institutes and authorities, Ava Ocean has taken on the challenge of commercializing a first-of-its-kind harvesting method that allows for the identification, selection, and sorting of seafood species living on the seabed, without harming marine ecosystems.
By proving the effectiveness of its precision seabed harvesting technology in harvesting Arctic scallops, the Norwegian authorities reopened the fishery of Arctic scallops in the Barents Sea after 30 years of closure. Making Ava Ocean’s method widely available in other regions and for other species has the potential to end harmful seabed dredging for good.
Through its active engagement in the community, and participation in four research projects, Ava Ocean contributes to increasing knowledge and understanding regarding humans’ impact on oceans and marine life.
The results Ava Ocean created in 2023
Hearing from Ava Ocean’s Chief Impact Officer
What has your collaboration with Norselab brought you so far?
- Norselab has been instrumental in making Ava Ocean the fast-growing business it is today. Their support extends well beyond financial backing; their insightful guidance in sustainable business development is invaluable to the Ava Ocean team. Norselab's belief in our vision and encouragement to think boldly are driving us forward to generate real positive change in the seafood industry. Norselab also had the vision to employ a sustainability professional like myself very early on our journey!
You have been involved in a project that aims to restore kelp forests in Norway. What has Ava Ocean’s role been?
- The OceanGreen project is a three-year project that aims to protect and restore kelp forests along the Norwegian coast by addressing the challenges posed by extensive sea urchin populations. It’s a strategic collaboration between industry, civil society, and research environments, where Ava Ocean is taking the lead.
“Zombie” sea urchins are consuming large quantities of kelp, causing seabed desertification. This is problematic because kelp offers vital nurseries for juvenile fish, carbon storage, nitrogen recycling, and erosion protection. The development of specialized harvesters for sea urchins, based on Ava Ocean’s patented technology, is a key aspect of the initiative. Our plan is to create commercially viable products from harvested sea urchins. The potential to revitalize coastal communities through the project is very exciting. I look forward to being part of engaging and educating - and hopefully creating new employment opportunities.
Ava Ocean’s technology is completely novel. How do you ensure it does not harm marine ecosystems?
- We collected our first baseline data for environmental monitoring in 2023. Our current fishing zones were rated 1.6 with the Shannon Diversity Index, which measures a community's diversity by considering the number of species, and evenness in abundance. Over 60 species inhabit our fishing zones! This means we have a great responsibility to maintain this level of biodiversity, and we will actively use this reference point in evaluating and tracking our environmental impact going forward.
What are the changes we still need to see in your industry?
To effectively address the root causes of the challenges we face, we need to increase awareness and understanding of marine ecosystems and their interactions. Although the proliferation of sea urchins is undeniably a leading cause of the decline in kelp forests, overfishing of their natural predators is the underlying cause. Sea urchin populations spike because human activity has disturbed their habitats. While removing sea urchins is an effective long-term solution for restoring kelp forests, the primary challenge remains to rebalance ecosystems through controlled fishing and habitat restoration.
