SeaForester and the Hurtigruten Foundation team up to bring back Arctic kelp forests in Måsøy, Finnmark
05 Nov 2026
SeaForester, the Hurtigruten Foundation and Planet Wild have launched a sea urchin removal pilot in Måsøy, Finnmark, to restore kelp forests that have been missing from the coast for 50 years. Local fishers are removing the sea urchins that have grazed the seabed bare, so that kelp and marine life can return.
Kelp forests are the rainforests of the Norwegian coast. Forming dense underwater forests, they shelter fish, crabs, snails, sea stars and thousands of smaller animals. For generations, the people of coastal Finnmark have fished along this living edge of the sea.
Around 5,000 km² (the size of 700,000 football fields) of seabed along Northern Norway is now "urchin barren", bare rock carpeted with green sea urchins, where little else can live. Overfishing of wolffish, cod and haddock in the 1960s removed the urchins' natural predators. The urchins multiplied and grazed thousands of square kilometers of kelp. Where the kelp is gone, young fish lose their shelter, and much of the life along the shore disappears with it.
Marine life (Image by Planet Wild)
Urchin barren (Image by Planet Wild)
In the pilot, local fishing boats set traps baited with farmed kelp at 1 to 15 meters depth. The traps are hauled regularly to remove the urchins, with no fish bycatch, giving kelp the chance to regrow. Initial tests in Måsøy show that the traps are highly effective. The work puts local fishers at the heart of the restoration: the people who know these waters best are the ones bringing the forest back. Recovery of kelp and marine life will be monitored together with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and NIVA. This project is also financed in part by Måsøy Municipality and the Arctic 2030 funding program.
The removed urchins don't go to waste. Currently, they are processed and returned to the marine ecosystem as a source of nutrition for fish and other marine life. Looking ahead, SeaForester is working with partners, including Hurtigruten, to explore opportunities to transform future catches into valuable products, including food. Sea urchin is already served as a delicacy on board Hurtigruten's ships.
Healthy kelp forests are vital ecosystems and nursing grounds for commercially important fish species such as cod and saithe. By restoring the lost kelp forests, this initiative supports coastal fisheries and the communities that depend on them.
The Hurtigruten Foundation funds the work as sponsor of Planet Wild's mission in Måsøy. In September 2026, MS Polarlys carried the Planet Wild film crew from Tromsø to Havøysund, with part of the film shot on board, and sea urchin was served to guests during the voyage.
Leadership: Jon Funderud (Seaweed Solutions), Hedda Felin (Hurtigruten Foundation), and Pål Bakken (SeaForester Group)
"Reviving our oceans and restoring “the forgotten forest” beneath the sea is one of the greatest challenges of our generation. We are honored to work with Hurtigruten, Norway’s iconic coastal voyage operator. This is a testament to SeaForester’s vision, and it helps us to accelerate and scale our work in the sea, improve our techniques, and create more life in the sea. We hope this initiative also will encourage other companies to act – to start planting trees in the ocean and not only on land“ says Pål Bakken, CEO of SeaForester Group.
“For 133 years, Hurtigruten has sailed the Norwegian coast, and our future is closely tied to its nature and communities. A thriving coast depends on life below the surface, too. The Hurtigruten Foundation is proud to support this project, bringing local knowledge and restoration expertise together,” says Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten and Chair of the Hurtigruten Foundation.
Next steps: A large shipment of traps delivered by Seabed Nordic arrives in December, and full-scale removal begins in spring 2027. The Planet Wild film about the project launches in January 2027. If results are positive, the approach will expand to more fjords and to Troms.
Måsøy, Finnmark (Image by Planet Wild)
Sonar mapping of fjord (Image by Planet Wild)
About SeaForester
SeaForester is a Portugal and Norway-based environmental impact company pioneering large-scale kelp forest restoration. With advanced seaweed nurseries and innovative seaforestation techniques, SeaForester provides low-cost solutions to restore marine ecosystems, strengthen fisheries, and sequester carbon at a meaningful scale. SeaForester has a proven business model offering clients worldwide an alternative to planting trees on land. Its mission is to restore 100,000 hectares of kelp forests by 2040.
About the Hurtigruten Foundation
The Hurtigruten Foundation was established with a clear purpose: to support projects that preserve nature, protect wildlife and strengthen local communities in the destinations the shipping company Hurtigruten sails to. Since 2015, the Foundation has awarded more than NOK 18 million to over 200 projects in 25 countries. Funds are raised through initiatives such as Green Stays in rooms and cabins, as well as onboard auctions. All funds raised go directly to grants supporting the Foundation’s purpose.
About Planet Wild
Planet Wild is a nature protection organization, building a global community of people who care deeply about the planet and want to give back to nature. Funded by its members, Planet Wild finances a new nature protection mission every month, partnering with organizations around the world to bring back endangered species, protect oceans and restore forests. Each mission is documented in a monthly video report.
Become a member at planetwild.com.
Media contacts
Pål Bakken, SeaForester · bakken@seaforester.org
Ina Finnerud, Hurtigruten · ina.finnerud@hurtigruten.com
Title and thumbnail images credited to Planet Wild