Name:
Intergrated multitrophic aquaculture for bioremediation and exploitation of edible and non-edible by-products

Developed by:
RemediaLIFE consortium (University of Salento, Apulia region, Italy)

Country(ies) involved:
Italy

Funding sources:
UE (LIFE project)

General idea:
Use of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) approach with polychaetes, sponges, mussels and macroalgae to bioremediate the aquaculture environment and exploitation of the produced edible and non-edible biomass for other (bio)technological applications; promotion of this approach at the European market level.

Description:
The project is applying an IMTA approach, which uses, for the first time in Europe, a combined use of bioremediating organisms (polychaetes and sponges, which are more efficient than mussels alone in removing waste suspended material and bacteria), mussels and macroalgae (more “classical” organisms used in IMTA, the latter also contributing in the removal of phosphorus and nitrogen). This community is efficient in “cleaning” the aquaculture environment and it is expected to enhance the quality on the fish food produced. Moreover, all the biomass (edible and non-edible byproducts) produced during bioremediation represents the starting raw material for other production processes, and, in particular: i)mussels: food for human consumption; ii) policaetes: baits for sportfishing, decorative animals in aquariums, ingredient for the production of feedings; iii) sponges: pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics; iv) macroalgae: pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, ingredient for the production of feedings (even for the same aquaculture plant), fertilizer for agriculture.
The project also aims at promoting this new technology at the European market level.

TRL:
3. Experimental proof of concept

Sources:
A webpage with detailed information on the project, partners, dissemination activities https://remedialife.eu/