• Projects
  • /
  • EASYTRAIN: Training researchers to address future challenges of fish farms

EASYTRAIN: Training researchers to address future challenges of fish farms

ECO-INNOVATIVE AQUACULTURE SYSTEM TRAINING FOR EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL DOCTORATES

Aquaculture innovation on modern techniques

Academic and industrial expertise combination

Researchers training

The farming of finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants is one of the world’s fastest growing food sectors. Aquaculture accounts for about 20 % of fish production in Europe. It also supplies more than 50 % of all seafood produced globally. But while demand is growing, capture fisheries are not.

This challenge requires effective cooperation and communication between the academic and the private sector and the EU-funded EASYTRAIN project will develop innovative aquaculture systems based on the most modern techniques and using organic aquaculture feed formulas, which substitutes fishmeal by Spirulina and quinoa as filler.

EASYTRAIN will match expertise of two academic and four industrial project beneficiaries from Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Italy, with complementary expertise in the field of plant and fish farming, feed production, aquaculture engineering and micro algae biotechnology. In addition, two non-academic partner organisations from Spain will bring experience and knowledge on entrepreneurship, IPR, public engagement and participatory processes, amongst other. The outcome of EASYTRAIN will be 6 researchers with experimental and transferable skills ready to cope with the future challenges of the prospect aquaculture sector.

OBJECTIVES

  • Improvement of aquaponic engineering through the research on the impact of light and temperature cycles on the combined production of fish and plants and the development of innovative environmental-control devices for aquaponic systems.

  • Investigation of fish and plant metabolic rhythms to match fish excretion and plant nutrient uptake in aquaponics to boost growth performance and reduce nutrient wastage.

  • Research on microalgae biotechnology to determine how light wavelength (blue/green/red) can modify microalgae composition (pigments and proteins) and develop improved lighting systems that meet both fish and plant requirements for optimum growth performance.

  • Investigation of fish food intake regulation and comprehensive characterization of organic diets based on plants (spirulina and quinoa) to assess their impact of fish performance and welfare.

consortium

UMU (España)
UniFe (Italia)
Jardineria y Viveros la Noria SL (España)
SPAROS (Portugal)

LANDLNG AQUACULTURE BV (Países Bajos)
Alga&Zyme (Italia)
BIOAZUL (España)
WE&B (España)

Did you find it interesting?

Status: Active

Contractnº: 956129

Duration: March 1, 2021 – February 28, 2025 (48 months)

Budget: 1.528.149,24€ (CE Contribution: 1.528.149,24€)

Contact person: Antonia Lorenzo (alorenzo@bioazul.com)