PALMARIAPLUS

Description

Seaweed farming is regarded as a cornerstone of the future sustainable blue bioeconomy in Europe. It is broadly recognised that increased seaweed utilisation by Europeans would substantially benefit marine ecosystems, coastal economies, human health, and mitigate climate impacts of other human activities. Seaweed farming is also much more gender balanced than other sectors of agriculture or aquaculture and is rapidly growing both in Europe and across the globe. For all its societal benefits, however, seaweed farming in Europe faces challenges at present due to the difficulties in utilising kelp, the primary seaweed species we are able to grow. In order for seaweed farming to proliferate and generate the benefits that have been promised, the industry must find ways to diversify production by domesticating new species, developing new cultivation techniques, and innovating new tools to measure and control seaweed quality.

PalmariaPlus will generate improved techniques for efficient cultivation of red macroalgae (Palmaria palmata and Chondrus crispus) across Northern Europe.  Specific activities include: 1) Developing new methods to increase seed supply of juvenile macroalgae in hatcheries, 2) Testing optimal conditions for efficient cultivation in tank systems, modifying water flow, areation, lighting etc.  3) Evaluating farm performance at sea sites across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, and investigating the effects of numerous environmental parameters on growth at sea, 4) Developing novel imaging tools to rapidly quantify the content of valuable biochemicals in red seaweeds, 5) Testing genetic aspects of growth performance and environmental sensitivity across macroalgae populations in Europe. Results will be communicated directly to seaweed farmers and industry consumers.  Broader engagement and dissemination will be achieved through workshops and training courses which will highlight the findings and innovations to the seafood industry and public.

The outcomes of PalmariaPlus will unlock the potential for seaweed farmers to begin cultivating these high-value red seaweeds and provide valuable production benchmarks at a regional scale to strategize expansion of seaweed farms.  The introduction of these new cultivated products to the market, and the promotion by this project, will also stimulate the supply chain to foster increased utilization of these health-positive ingredients by European consumers.  By diversifying the species portfolio for seaweed aquaculture, new market opportunities will be created and the potential for this nature-positive industry will expand.
 

Coordinator: Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, NOFIMA, Norway

Partners: 

• University of Gothenburg, UGOT, Sweden
• National Institute of Aquatic Resources, DTU AQUA, Denmark
• Atlantic Technological University, ATU, Ireland
• Cartron Point Shellfish Ltd, CPS, Ireland