Name:
GoJelly – Using jellyfish biomass to provide innovative and high value added products for agriculture, cosmetic, aquafeed, food and water treatment industry.
Developed by:
Slovenia: National Institute of Biology
Portugal: ARDITI – Agencia Regional Para o Desenvolvimento da Investigacao, Tecnologia e Inovacao – Associacao
Italy: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Institute of Sciences of Food Production
Italy: Sanpietro Societa Cooperativa Agricola
Countrie(s) involved:
Slovenia, Portugal and Italy.
The whole consortium was 16 partners from 10 countries.
Funding sources:
EU- Framework Programmes (i.e., FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon EU)
Specific organism(s) focused:
The objective of the GoJelly project was to develop, test and promote a gelatinous solution to microplastic pollution by developing a TRL 5-6 prototype microplastics filter (GoJelly) for commercial and public use, where the main raw material is jellyfish mucus. In doing so, the consortium addressed two environmental issues with one approach by removing the commercially and ecologically destructive sea and coastal pollution of both jellyfish and microplastics. This innovative approach will ultimately lead to less plastic in the ocean, municipal demand (and thereby competitive prices) for jellyfish raw material to fill the “mucus-need” by filter developers, and in turn more jobs for commercial fishers in off-seasons. The by-products of the GoJelly biomass have other uses as well, ensuring that GoJelly also delivers a green innovation, resulting in novel, valuable resource for the food and feed industry as well as agro-biological fertilizer for organic farming. The GoJelly prototype products aimed to be tested and demonstrated in three different European seas (Norwegian, Baltic and Mediterranean), by a range of stakeholders, including commercial fishers and industry partners.
In EURO-MED countries that developed and were part of developed good practices:
Italy: Developing protocols and treatment to produce edible jellyfish that are in line with EU regulatives.
Slovenia: Protocol development for preparation of jellyfish mucus use as microplastic biofilter.
Portugal: Developing fish feed from jellyfish biomass.
The biggest challenge in using jellyfish biomass is the unpredictable period and abundancy of jellyfish blooming, especially when planning large scale production. For this reason, jellyfish cultivation was also planned and tested. Also, jellyfish risk map was published as a tool to predict JF blooms. This risk map is backed up by the population matrix model, genetic studies, hydrodynamic models, and citizen science through the JellySpotter App. Market research was carried out and consumer behaviour through jellyfish-based products was assessed.
Specific organism(s) focused:
Yes
Specific organism(s) focused:
Metazoa (tunicates, molluscs, sponges, Cnidaria, etc.)
Serctor(s) involved:
Yes
Serctor(s) involved:
Aquaculture and fisheries technologies; Food and feed; Agriculture; Cosmetics and wellbeing
TRL:
TRL 4-6
Helix sector/involvement:
Research performing organizations and academia; SME; NGOs and civil organizationsYes
Link to the good practice:
All publicly available data are accessible on the CORDIS portal of the GoJelly project:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/774499/results
Comments:
GoJelly was widely recognized by all levels of society, from children to youth and the general public. It contributed significantly to Blue growth by supporting SMEs’ growth through their innovative products such as Jellyfish fertilizer (Hanseatische Umwelt), Ocean Power (face cream with collagene, CRM) and the Jellyfish cookbook (San Pietro). A new generation of early-career scientists was developed which is reflected in 49 scientific publications which are going to become more in the exploitation phase of the project. Besides, the project obtained one patent for jellyfish treatment for food production, and one patent for using jellyfish mucus for removing microplastics from water.